Reset into the Game
by OracleVortex
Summary: -COMPLETED: Being updated- A Canadian girl is somehow reset into the Ocarina of Time game and suddenly finds herself having to fight alongside the likes of Link and Sheik as they try to defeat Ganon and save Hyrule!
1. Prologue

**Reset Into the Game  
**By OracleVortex

_Disclaimer:_

I do not own anything to do with the Legends of Zelda. The world, general plot and characters, along with many of the things within belong to the creators, and not me. I do not profit from this work of fanfiction and do not benefit from it in any other way than from personal amusement and satisfaction.

The character Rae Thomas is my own.

_A/N: _

If you've been here before, you'll notice that there's been some changes to the original story. It's been a looooong time, and I've decided to brush up the fic a little. The plot and everything will be the same, but I'm just giving it an updated write through. I've gotten better over the years. Thanks for sticking with me, and cheers

* * *

**Prologue: The History**

Many hundreds of years ago, the three golden goddesses descended upon the chaotic land that was Hyrule. Din, the goddess of power, extended her arms to the earth, and cultivated the land. Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, poured her infinte wisdom into the lands, and gave the spirit of law to the world. Farore, the goddess of courage, used her rich soul to create all life forms, which would uphold the law.

At the spot where the three great goddesses left this world, they left the golden Triforce. The Triforce had the power to bring about a golden age, if in the possession of one with a pure soul. However, if taken by one with evil in their heart, many years of darkness would swallow all that the goddesses had created. The Triforce was locked away, in the Sacred Realm protected by the sages.

The Triforce was always thought of as a symbol of three, for the three goddesses and the three triangles, and for the gifts of power, wisdom and courage. It wasn't known to many that three wasn't quite the right number.

For, within the three goddesses and the three gifts was another power - one that held them together in a scared bond. There was courage and wisdom, and the great and terrible power, but woven between all three was the power of friendship. In the Triforce it could only be seen when all the pieces were together.

The Children of Destiny who held the pieces of the Triforce were always numbered at three. The fourth, the most secret of them all, was always hidden.

Hidden, that is, until now.


	2. Explanations & a New Partner

Yay! First Chapter is up!! This is basically How Rae got to Hyrule and what she does to make sure she stays there.

I don't own anything related to Zelda…

Please Review!!

Chapter One: Down the Rabbit Hole...

"Stupid re-dead." 

No matter how many times she played the game, she could never walk out of the marketplace without being caught by a re-dead—it's just one of those things.

Rae Thomas was a teenage girl of approximately 17 years. Her red-tinted, black hair was cut in a short pixie style, and there was an ever-present wicked glimmer in her dark emerald eyes. She was fit, and practiced a master's degree in staff and hand-to-hand just for the simple reason that she thought it could come in handy one day.

Smart girl.

Sure, she was a teenage girl, but unlike the stereotypical 'girl' that was only boy-obsessed, Rae also enjoyed video games. Her favourite games were RPG's and her favourite RPG was The Legends of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

Rae fiddled with her control stick, trying to break the re-dead' s hold on her little mini Link. Suddenly the screen froze and Rae lost all control over her game.

"Great." Rae mumbled, reaching for the reset button. "Just great." Her fingers came down on the reset and a strange ominous clicking noise was heard. "What the—"

A Technicolor flash filled the screen and Rae felt a wave of strange heat pass over her. Her hands tingled and the room spun in front of her eyes. The last thing she felt before she passed out was the feeling of falling. The last thing that she saw was the Link figurine, frozen and down on his knees, trying to pry dead hands from his throat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A young man sat on the stairs of a temple, the palms of his hands rubbing his eyes. His golden hair was wispy and hidden under the folds of a long cloth hat. He was dressed in a green tunic, white shirt and white tights. Brown boots covered his feet and matching leather gauntlets were upon his hands. A shield hung on his back, partially hiding a long, blue-violet-handled sword. He gave off a proud air that completed the medieval warrior look he displayed. The only thing that could even be considered out of the ordinary were his ears. It wasn't the fact that the right one sported a tiny silver hoop, but rather that they were pointed.

Pointed ears were the least of the young man's problems, if he considered them a problem at all; they were something that was normal for him. After all, he was Hyrulian; it's a normal thing. 

This young man something different to worry about at the moment. Seven years ago, when he was only ten years old, he had embarked on a perilous journey to save the land of Hyrule from the power of Ganon, the evil king of the Gerudos. In order to this, he had to collect three Spiritual stones from various places in Hyrule. The Spiritual Stone of the Forest from Kokiri Forest, The Spiritual Stone of Water from Zora's Domain, and the Spiritual Stone of Fire from Goron Mountain. The young man succeeded in doing this and opened the Door of Time in the Temple of Time. This drained Ganon of his power and sealed the Dark King away in the place between realms until the end of time. The young man, who became known as the Hero of Time, returned to the Kokiri Forest and lived the rest of his days happy and content. Or so he thought.

The youth sighed deeply, running his fingers through his hair. Yes, he was the Hero of Time, although he preferred to be called his real name, Link. Yes, he did collect the three Spiritual Stones in order to save the world, and yes, he did go to the Temple of Time to open the Door of Time. What Link didn't do was stop Ganon and send him to the place between realms. 

When Link opened the Door of Time, Ganon seized the chance to access the doorway to the Sacred Realm, and was able to get a hold of one of the Triforce pieces, the piece of power. When this occurred, Link was sent into a stationary dream state. Seven years passed and in that time, Link was living his life in an imaginary world. When he woke up, he was in his real body with the mind of a seventeen year old and the memories of a fake life. In the real years that had passed, Ganon had reinforced his hold over Hyrule, leaving no part of the land untainted. Hyrule town had become home to Re-dead and the castle was his headquarters of evil. 

Link's main quest was reinstated and he now found himself thrown into a world he hardly knew, making his way across the lands, collecting medallions that contained the power of the six sages of the land. The first sage, Rauru, was the one who released Link from his deep slumber and filled him in on the details of what had happened. He gave Link his power, contained in the Light medallion. Link was then sent on his way to find the remaining five.

When exiting the Temple of Time, for that is where Rauru had sent him, he was greeted by a strange and yet hauntingly familiar figure. He introduced himself as Sheik, the survivor of the Sheikahs. The Sheikahs, Link knew, were the elite fighting force that protected the Hyrulian Royal family. Sheik told Link more of the medallions and the locations of the temples that housed the sages that protected them. Sheik also gave Link a piece of helpful information; he would need a tool in order to get into the forest temple. He guided Link to Kakariko village where he could find the tool. Link thanked him just as the man disappeared in a flash of bright light.

A little overwhelmed by the load of information he had received all at once, Link had numbly made his way to Kakariko village to obtain the tool, which he later found out was called a hookshot.

Link had been torn out of a reality that he had called home. He had been pulled away from all he knew and all he loved. With this in mind he returned home to Kokiri forest. What he found horrified him and sparked a deep fire of anger. Monsters and creatures occupied the village and plagued the local Kokiri. Look as he might, he could not find his childhood friend, Saria. On the last legs of hope, Link plunged deep into the Lost Woods, navigating the magical passageways with the skill of one who knew them well. He went to a place where he and Saria would often go to just sit and talk. 

She was not there. Under the advice of Navi, Link's faerie, he played a song on his ocarina that was always guaranteed to contact Saria. It took a few tries, but Link then heard the soft, musical voice of his best friend. She told him that she was trying to help the forest spirits and that she needed his help. She also said that she was glad to see him and had wondered if she was ever going to see him again. 

Fresh with hope, Link entered the Forest temple and vanquished the evil that he found there. When he defeated the evil minion that lurked there, he was once again taken to the Chamber of the Sages where he met Saria, face to face.

With a comforting smile and warm words, they exchanged a short conversation. Saria then bestowed upon him the medallion of the forest, along with her power. 

And now he was here, sitting on the white marble stairs of the temple of Time, dizzy with too much information. He was Hyrulian. He had lived the last seven years in a dream. He had to defeat Ganon. He had to save the world. He could go back in time. After finishing the Forest Temple and getting sent back to the temple of time, Sheik had appeared again. He told Link that by placing the master sword back in the pedestal behind the Door of Time, he could go back seven years into the past. Why Link would want to was beyond him, but he remembered the fact none the less.

Link sighed once more. So much had changed in so little time. It was almost devastating to him. Having lived out a dream life, he was never told that he was a Hyrulian. Now he knew the truth, and struggled to adjust to his extra height and drastically changed appearance. It was tough going, but he had to get through it. If not for himself, but then for the fate of Hyrule.

A sudden scream pierced the silence of the Temple courtyard. Link was abruptly jerked out of his brooding thoughts, his hand automatically drawing his sword. A second scream resounded in the air, and Link jumped to his feet. 

__

Who was that? Link thought, running for Town Square. _This place is deserted…except for the re-dead._ With this in mind, he sped between the houses, leaping over debris and remains of burnt houses. The broken fountain came into view, accompanied by re-dead, it's limbs wrapped tightly around a person. Link could not see who it was, for they were turned the other way. Link hefted his sword, but with a second thought, sheathed it and pulled out his ocarina instead. He didn't want to accidentally hit the person that the re-dead was strangling. Link took a deep breath and put the instrument to his lips. 

~*~*~*~

She couldn't breathe! The mummy-like thing had jumped on her with no warning at all, it's iron grip making her scream in surprise. She was starting to see spots and her sight was fading. Rae managed to scream once more, backing into something hard to make the thing momentarily loosen its grip on her, but she doubted anyone would hear her. Sure, she was being strangled to death, but it didn't stop her from thinking; Mummy-like thing trying to kill her, re-dead trying to kill Link. System freezes; she gets a weird Technicolor feeling. Hmm. Common answer here? She must have been transported into the game, but where was Link? Rae opened her mouth, but drew no breath. Were they switched? 

Rae blinked rapidly, her hands falling to her sides. It didn't matter anyway; she was going to die. The re-dead froze, its death-grip sliding on Rae's neck. Rae weakly elbowed it and pushed its stiff body off of her. She crawled away as it hit the ground behind her. Collapsing on the stone pavement she vaguely heard the lasting notes of a quick, haunting melody. With the simple six-note song echoing in her ears, she felt a wave of peace glide over her. She didn't care if she died, now; as long as that song held its effect on her, she was fine. 

A dark figure appeared in her hazy sight. It kneeled and leaned over her. Sensing it wasn't the creature, she murmured, "Thank-you." There was some sort of reply, but she didn't comprehend it. 

Chapter Two: Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore…

"_Did anyone catch the number of the that truck that hit me?_" Rae groaned, feeling her body protest at any slight movement. Then she remembered. Rae sat up with a jerk, her back screaming. "Ow."

"How are you feeling?"

Rae's eyes flickered to the side. It was now nighttime, and the stars danced in the sky above. Rae was on one side of a fire, across from a figure silently sitting cross-legged, watching her with sapphire eyes. His hair was blonde and he was dressed in green and white, with touches of brown. His ears were pointed.

Rae stared at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, after hearing no reply to his first question. She said nothing, and he shifted positions on the ground. "Hello?"

The girl blinked, shook her head, and blinked again. "Link?" 

The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "How do you know my name?"

Rae opened her mouth and then closed it again. "You saved me, didn't you?"

"Yes." He said shortly, poking at the fire with a stick. "What were you doing in the town—you could have been killed."

"It wasn't exactly my choice." Rae muttered, glancing to one side.

Link looked sharply at her. "Who are you?"

"My name's Rae." She replied, plucking a handful of grass from the ground in front of her. She then proceeded to pick it apart one piece at a time, conveniently avoiding the man's gaze. 

"Where are you from?" Link inquired, watching her carefully. "You don't seem to be Hyrulian." He indicated her ears. "And unless I'm mistaken, you're not Gerudo either." At this he gestured to her clothing.

"I'm not from around here." Rae said quietly.

"That's not what I asked."

"Well, where are _you _from?" Rae snapped defensively. 

Link didn't say anything. Rae looked up to see him gazing into the fire, his eyes glazed over. A million emotions flickered across his eyes, but he didn't express them. Heavy lids fell closed and a small sigh escaped his lips. "I don't even know anymore." He whispered.

Rae softened, feeling compassion for the young man. After all, she had an idea of what could be bothering him. "Look, she said softly, "You saved my life—now I owe you one."

Link opened his eyes. "You owe me nothing. I did not do it for a reward."

Rae nodded. "Yes, I know that, but you help so many people, do so many things and hardly ever get anything in return. You fight countless numbers of enemies—some which are often twice your size, and still stop to help the locals. Doesn't it get tiring after a while?"

Link sat up straighter, suspicion in his movements. "Who are you?"

"I'm just someone who wants to help, Link," Rae appealed to him, "I can help you on your journey. I have information." When Link didn't reply she said, "I want to be your friend, Link. I know what's happening must be confusing, and it must hurt a heck of a lot, but you have to pull through. The fate of Hyrule rests on your shoulders." She paused. "Let me lighten that load—however slightly."

Link sat as still as a statue. The angle that his head was at hid his face, but Rae could tell that he was struggling with an inner decision. He obviously needed a friend, but he didn't want to place her life at risk. Link stood, walking to his horse, which was lying near-by. He pulled a sheet of fabric off her back and turned back to the fire. He tossed it to Rae.

"It gets cold at night; you'll need a blanket."

Rae rubbed the soft cloth between her fingers. "What about you?"

"I'll be fine."

"And your decision?"

Link turned to go sit further away. "I'll think about it. Get some sleep."

"Goodnight." Rae called. He didn't reply.

~*~*~*~

Link leaned against the uprising of the hill, examining the starry sky without any real thought. His mind was elsewhere. There was so much that had happened recently, and so many things that had changed. There was hardly anything that he recognized anymore, save for the appearance of the Kokiri; they never changed. He felt a pang when he thought of the Kokiri; the only family that he had ever known…one that wasn't even his.

Link sighed. To add to all of this, a strange girl suddenly appears in his life, claiming to want to help him even though they didn't know a thing about each other. Well, he didn't know anything about _her_. The short conversation that they had had only a few moments ago convinced him that she knew more about him than he did himself. It was strange, but he felt as if she knew his every secret, his every flaw and accomplishment. Her eyes pierced his soul and made him believe that there was nothing he could hide from her. 

Rae. He had saved her from re-dead in Hyrule Town Square. What was she doing there anyway? The place had been abandoned for who knows how long. And what about the way that she dressed? Link glanced over to where the girl was sleeping by the fire. A long black coat with a hood was over a blue oval neck shirt. She wore not a dress, nor even a skirt; she wore pants, made of a strange dark blue fabric. Her shoes were black, but they had laces on the top of foot, and were made from a sturdy material. It was obvious, at least to Link that she was not from Hyrule, and perhaps even not from this land.

Still, she seemed to possess an incredible amount of knowledge that could benefit him on his quest. With his being in a dream state for the last seven years, this would prove to his advantage. 

The fabric of Link's hat shifted slightly, and a bright blue ball of dust appeared, hovering above his head.

"I don't like her." The glowing ball of light said in a bell-like voice. "I don't think that we should trust her."

"I dunno, Navi." Link said, tilting his head to count the stars. "She seems to mean well enough. We could use her help."

"We don't even know her story!" The little faerie cried, bobbing frantically in the air. "She could be working for Gannon!"

"No." Link said in a firm voice. There was a distant look in his eyes, and his mouth curved up at the sides. "No, I don't think that Rae would even consider working for Gannon—by her will or his. I believe that we can trust her."

Navi gave link the faerie equivalent of a shaking head. 

Link sighed. "I'll find out her story in the morning, alright?" Navi snorted, and on that note, Link closed his eyes and went to sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Rae woke up the fire had gone out and there was a pile of ash and half-burnt sticks on the ground. Link was a few paces away, dozing lightly against the rise of the hill. A faint breeze tousled his deep golden hair and rustled the tall grass around him. Rae walked on all fours to him, quietly sitting down at his side. He looked strikingly like his N64 double and the clothes he wore were identical. Lying in the grass at his side was a long narrow scabbard, with the hilt of a sword sticking out. Rae frowned, not remembering him having the weapon the previous night, and picked it up. With her right hand she pulled the sword out of it's sheath and held it up to the morning light. Its polished, flawless steel glimmered, and the topaz jewel at the hilt sparkled as well. The long violet handle ended at a rounded pommel, and it's thickness felt wonderful in Rae's grasp. She was no expert on swords, but it was definitely beautiful, and there was no doubt in her mind that it was the Master Sword.

"What do you think you're doing?!" 

Rae gave out a startled yelp as a blur of blue light flew into her face. "What the hell?!" Rae covered her eyes with one arm, while waving at the blur with the other. "Link!" She cried.

A long arm wrapped around her, pressing her face into the fabric of a tunic. Link waved an arm at the air. "Navi, stop!"

Rae risked a glance upwards. Link was glaring furiously at the ball of blue light, which was now floating in the air at eye level. Rae cursed silently, having forgotten the annoying faerie partner.

"She was taking the Master sword!" Navi exclaimed.

Link took the weapon from Rae's hand, releasing her from his warm hold. "Is this true?" Dipping, Link picked up the scabbard from the grass, and slid the sword into it. 

"No!" Rae cried as the hero strapped the sword to his back. "I was only looking at it!"

"Likely story." Navi said. "You were stealing it!" She accused.

"I was not!" Rae said in a low voice. "So you can just shove it up your glowing little—" 

"Stop!" Link ordered. He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Rae—"

"I wasn't stealing it."

"Navi—" 

"She was too!"

"Will you both be quiet for a moment?!" Link yelled. "Listen, Rae. Before you come with us—if you come with us—I think I need you to tell us why and how you know all about me."

Rae shrugged. "Okay." She had spent part of her night coming up with an alibi that she knew would be asked for. So maybe it was a little out there, but she was in a video game! That's a bit out there too! "I come from a distant land."

"We know that much." Rae glared at Navi for interrupting. Link waved her on. 

"Sorry, please continue."

"That land is called Canada. There, we have…a prophecy." Link looked sceptical, and Rae knew that Navi was about to interrupt again, so she rushed onwards. "Well, actually, it's more like a vision."

"A vision." Neither if them were biting into the idea. 

"Yes. You see, where I come from, there's – a deity –called…Nintendo."

Navi bounced around her head. "That's an awful strange name for a deity."

Rae swatted at her. "And Din, Nayru, and Farore aren't? Anyway, Nintendo sent this vision to a gamer-" 

"Gamer?" Navi popped up in front of her face.

"A gamer is a type of –uh– oracle, who receives visions. So, this gamer was told the future of a hero –namely you." She looked to Link, who was stuffing Navi into his hat to shut her up. "This was done in great detail, and to the gamer, it was almost like a story. Nintendo commanded that Canada send a representative –or helper– to Hyrule to help you." 

Link's face didn't give any indication of what he was thinking. "So they sent you?"

Rae nodded, sighing inwardly. He was starting to believe her! She could see it in his eyes. "Well, actually, it was sort of a destiny thing. I touched the –altar– of Nintendo, and was given the vision."

"So that's how you know everything." Link said quietly. A bulge in his hat jumped around. 

"How else would I have known?"

Link stood. "That's why you were in Hyrule Town? To see the King?"

"To see you. The vision started with you outside the Temple of Time." 

"Oh." Link was suddenly looking everywhere but at her. Clearing his throat, he offered a hand, and pulled Rae to her feet. "If you're going to come with me, we'd better get going." 

"Going where?" Rae asked, astounded that he had already picked a destination, considering that a moment before he wasn't even sure to their partnership.

"Lon-Lon Ranch." He stretched, walking to where Epona was munching on grass. "We will travel slower with only one horse." He stepped into the saddle, reaching to swing Rae up.

Rae stared at him, rooted to the spot.

"Well, come on." He said.

"You have got to be kidding me." Rae said in a deadpan voice.

Navi popped out of Link's hat. "You can't even ride a horse! Let's leave her beh—"

Link shoved her back in. "Haven't you ever ridden a horse before?" Link asked. 

"This is the closest I have ever been to one." She replied.

"Oh." Link slipped his foot out of the stirrup. "It's easy enough. Just put your left foot in here and swing your other leg over." Rae was about to protest once more, but there was something in Link's eyes that made her think twice...made her trust him. She hesitantly grabbed the saddle, following his instructions. She gave a little hop that boosted her off the ground, and Link pulled her into a sitting position in front of him. 

"Now what?" Rae asked, nervously gripping the saddle horn tightly.

"Now, " Link said, slipping his arms around her to grasp the reins, "You just let me drive. I teach you later." Making a clicking noise with his tongue, he urged Epona forward. At first they started out walking, so that Rae could get used to the movement of the horse under her, and then they gradually went faster until they were at a light trot. 

They didn't really speak to each other, in the few hours of riding, except for the several verbal battles between the Canadian and the faerie. Eventually giving up, Link and Rae rode in silence, thinking and for some reason, completely comfortable in each other's presence. 

Rae's head kept on turning from side to side, trying to match the land with what she knew in the RPG game. Finally realising that Hyrule was much larger, and not so compact, she decided that if she were going to see anything familiar, she'd see it right away.

Rae swayed sidewards, brushing against Link's arm. Her skin twitched at the physical contact. _He's so real. I can't believe that I'm actually here! How many times had I wished that I could go into a fantasy world like this only to realise that it isn't possible? Right now I can only hope that this isn't a dream…_ She shook her head.

Link glanced down at her movement. She didn't appear to be using the gesture as a comment on anything, so he didn't mention it. 

"What's it like, where you're from?" Link asked softly. Rae started at his voice. 

"Well…" She paused uncertainly. Should she tell him the truth? No—what was she thinking? He's never heard of electricity and cars, let alone N64's and skyscrapers. 

"Rae?" Link asked again, talking into her ear. Rae shivered at his breath on her skin. It was so warm…just like his embrace had been when Navi had attacked her. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm cool." Rae said automatically. "Just thinking of home." 

Link sighed. _Home…_ "Is it nice there?"

Rae shrugged. "Sorta. There are no wars in Canada, right now—we're known as peacemakers. But there's a lot of pollution in my wor---land."

Link slowed Epona to a walk. "Let's stop for a moment." Up ahead there was a small stone well. Link dismounted and helped Rae down.

Rae couldn't help but join the Hyrulian as he drank from the brimming well. There was a soft slap as Link tossed his gantlets on the edge of the well. He dipped into the cool water with his bare hands and carefully drank the liquid from cupped palms. Out of the corner of her eye, Rae noticed a glimmer of gold. She turned to look, wiping wet hands on her jeans, and noticed that Link was wearing a gold bracelet on his left wrist. Squinting, she could make out a ruby design of a three-leafed flower.

"It's a Goron's bracelet."

Rae glanced up to find that Link was looking at her. Rae straightened, leaning back on her heels. 

"Yeah, I know." 

Link nodded, seeming to expect her reply. He leaned back against the well, his serious sapphire eyes pinning her to the spot. "Do you have any family back home?"

"Why so curious, my pointy-eared friend?" Rae said playfully.

Link slipped his gantlets back on. "You know so much about me, and I wanted to know something about you."

Rae once again felt her heart soften for the young elf-like man. "So you need some security—that I can understand." She rubbed her chin, thinking of her siblings. "Well, I live with both of my parents, and my younger brother." She paused for a moment. "And there was my older brother, but we don't speak of him anymore."

"You say 'was'." Link observed. "What happened?"

Rae blinked, feeling a mask slide over her face. In the seven years since she last saw her brother, she had perfected a stone mask of casual indifference that hid her emotions about it. "Dunno."

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Rae struggled to answer. Link, as if realising that the question was major personal, apologised. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Rae shook her head. "No…that's okay." She sighed. "I was ten, he was twenty-one. He had a fight with my parents. Disappeared the next day." Rae looked down at her shoes. "He never came back."

"I-I didn't know." Link said in a hushed voice.

"That's why you asked." Rae replied. "You have any siblings?"

Link shook his head. "I have no family." He said harshly. "My parents died a long time ago. I have no brothers or sisters." Link rose to his feet, facing away from Rae. "You are lucky."

Rae scrambled to stand, a frown on her face. "Hey…" She lightly touched Link's shoulder. "You're not alone, Link." She said in a gentle voice. "Now you've got me."

Link turned to her, one hand covering hers. A shock of electricity leapt from his fingers, quickly igniting hers. He opened his mouth to say something.

"You'd better not forget that he's got me too!" Navi yelled, suddenly very big in Rae's view. "So don't pull anything!"

"And who's gonna stop me if I do?" Rae shot back, jerking away from Link. 

"I am!"

"Bring it on Tinkerbell!"

"Who are you calling Tinkerbell!?"

Link sighed, vaguely considering dunking his head in the well. He could already see that Navi and Rae were not going to get along, no matter how long that they were together. He went over to Epona, who appeared to be noticing the same thing. 

~*~*~*~

So?? What didja think?? you better tell me and review! No flames please, cuz all that'll do is make things all smoky an' stuff. 

Oh! I know that Rae's explanation was a LOT bit hokey, but that's the only thing that will be in this story! I promice! Please keep reading!

*OracleVortex*


	3. Chapter 3, cuz i accidently put No2 in c...

Chapter Two: And on This Farm, They had a Horse…

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Disclaimer: I only own Rae and the changes to the storyline.

A/N: Okay, I promise that this will be the last chapter that will bore you to death. It'll be really short, so then we can get to the action. 

*OracleVortex*

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It was late afternoon by the time that they reached the ranch. They dismounted, and Link led Epona through the gates. Navi was let loose, and she roamed freely, for once not pestering Rae. 

"Hey!" Link said, raising his arm in greeting. Rae looked in the general direction that he was facing, seeing a homely young woman waving cheerfully back. Her hair was bright red, tucked neatly behind pointed ears, and she wore a simple homespun dress, covered by a cream-colored apron. 

"Faerie-boy!" She welcomed him. "Back so soon?"

Link nodded. "Malon, I'd like you to meet Rae. Rae, this is Malon."

The two women shook hands. "Hello Rae."

"Hi."

Link went on. "She'll be travelling with me, so I'm going to need another horse." He paused. "Would you sell me one?"

Malon winked at him, nodding. "Of course, faerie-boy, but I'm going to have to charge you for this one."

Link blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey…I won Epona fair and square."

"I'm only teasing, faerie-boy."

Rae blocked out the light banter, gazing around the ranch. It was pretty much identical to the Lon Lon Ranch of her memory. There was an oval corral in the centre of the field, and the barn and house were near the entrance. There were cuccos nearby that roamed free, but pretty much stayed in their one corner, and Ingo stood off to one side; his appearance so…weird…that it could only be him.

"…Well, how about this one?"

Rae turned back to Link, and saw that Malon was leading a beautiful cream-colored mare their way. It was sturdy and proud, but yet it had a gentle air about it.

"Meet Carina." Malon said proudly, patting the mare's nose. "She's been my pride and joy ever since Link came and whisked Epona away." Malon pressed the reins into Link's hand. 

"She's beautiful." Link handed the reins to Rae, pulling out his rupee purse. "How much for her? Saddle and all?"

Malon thought for a moment. "Well, since you're a good friend of mine…no less than 210."

"…Sold." Link started to count out rupees into the farm girl's hand.

Rae stared at the horse. She _seemed_ gentle enough. Maybe if she were extra careful, the horse wouldn't dump her on her first ride. "Hey, there, Carina. I'm Rae." The horse whinnied and butted her head against her new mistress. Carina nosed around at Rae's coat pockets, probably looking for a treat. "Sorry, girl, I don't have anything." Carina managed to look the tiniest bit saddened at this.

Link chuckled, coming up behind Rae. "Here." He put a lump of sugar into her hand. Rae fed it to the mare, giggling as the horse's tongue tickled her palm. Link guided Rae to stand beside the horse. "Time to learn to ride."

"Now?" Rae exclaimed, panic edging into her voice. 

"Hold onto the saddle." Link instructed patiently. "Foot in the stirrup…" 

Rae followed what he said to do, almost catching the hero in the side of his head as she swung one leg over the horse. She looked down at Link, nervously mounted. "Now what?" Link led her through the basics of riding, teaching her to jump, gallop, trot and control without using the reins. Carina, on her part, was very agreeable and not too hard to manage. 

When the wolfos began to howl at the moon, Link finally decided to call it a day. Malon, who had been watching the whole time, offered them both lodging for the night. Rae staggered to the house, leaning on Link's arm.

"Are you alright?" Link asked, trying hard to hide a smile.

"My butt hurts." Rae complained, rubbing her tender behind. "How can you ride all day?"

"Practice." Link tossed at her, opening the door and letting her go first. 

Malon, who had obviously heard Rae's question, winked as she set out plates and cups. "He neglected to mention his Buns-o-steel." Rae's mouth dropped open, delighted at the use of a familiar term. She laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" Link asked, sitting down at the table, confused. This only made Malon burst out in giggles, and Rae laugh harder.

~*~*~*~

The next day, after thanking Malon profusely, Link and Rae set out at the break of dawn. Several bottles of milk were jingling in Carina's saddlebags, and there were enough food for many days accompanying it. 

Malon was there to see them off. "Good luck!" She called as they left. "And if you see my father, be sure to send him home!" 

"We will!" Link promised. Then they went at full gallop, heading for Kakariko Village, Death Mountain, and the Fire Temple. 

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Yay! Another chapter done!! Thanx to all that reviewed, you are all such angels to me!! :P 

Next Chapter…or maybe the next one…will see the coming of my ALL TIME FAVE ZELDA CHARACTER!!! I'm not going to tell you who it is, though. J

I've put up three – yes, 3 – new stories! One's a digmon fic, one's a Cardcaptors and one's a Harry Potter! Be sure to check them out!!

*OracleVortex*

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	4. Hello, anybody home?

Chapter Four: Hello…anybody home?

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Disclaimer: If I DID own Zelda etc. than I'd make Link talk a whole lot more!! Plus, I'd change that whole Zelda/Sheik thing…grr that makes me so mad…

YAY!!! My favourite character appears now!!! YAY!!! *Does the happy dance* Boo-ya!

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"…Thank you for making my cucco so happy!" Anju said, face alight with joy.

"Aww, no problem." Link said. Rae had to agree. Taking the unhappy cucco and waking the snoring Talon was like hitting two birds with one stone; they had fulfilled both of the promises that they had made to Malon and Anju.

Anju gestured to the door of her home. "Why don't you stay for lunch? It's the least that I can do." 

"Sure." link accepted.

They went inside, leaving their equipment and shoes at the door. 'Equipment…' Rae thought with a grin. 'Never thought that I'd say that…' Earlier that day, Link had taken her to a shop, where he bought her bombs, bombchus, Deku sticks & nuts, and a bottle of healing potion. They'd paused at a weaponry to pick out a proper staff, but Rae had drawn the line at a shield; she didn't need to have her arms all-clumsy with a metal sheet. 

Anju set out three bowls, all containing a thick broth. "So, you're adventuring with Link, are you?" 

Rae nodded. "Yes." she dipped a spoon into her soup. "We're heading up to the Goron City."

Anju smiled at Link. "Seems that that's the only reason you ever come through Kakariko."

"I have things to do." Link said apologetically. "Otherwise I'd visit more often." 

"Must have a lot of things to do, to not visit for seven years." Anju sipped from a mug. Link was silent.

Rae gulped down the rest of her meal. "Fantastic, Anju." She complimented the Hyrulian, trying to steer the conversation away from an uncomfortable silence. 

"Thank you, it's my mother's recipe." 

Rae pushed away from the table. "Well, we'd better be going, right Link?" There was a non-committal grunt as he slid into his boots, hefting his shield onto his back. Anju saw them to the door. "We'll stop in on our way back, okay, Anju?"

Anju hugged her tightly. "Of course! Stop by whenever you need to! I have extra beds if you ever need a place to stay."

"Thanks for lunch." Link mumbled. Rae pushed him out of the door, steering him through the village and depositing him at the passage to the mountain. 

"Hey, you all right?" Rae asked carefully, looking directly into Link's eyes. He didn't answer. "Hello?"

"BIG DODONGO!!" 

Link and Rae sprang apart as the loud and sudden cry sounded in the air. Link had the Master Sword out, his eyes snapping to attention. Rae half-crouched in a guard position, her staff before her. 

"Where?" Link demanded to the unseen person.

Navi flittered by, saying in a casual voice, "Never mind…false alarm." Link growled, sheathing his sword. Rae blinked. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn that the faerie was trying to help her. 

"You alright, there, Link?" Rae called to him. 

"Fine. Let's go." He said shortly.

"Nuh, uh." Rae said, putting a restraining hand on his arm. "Something's up."

"I bet it was what that Anju lady said, wasn't it, Link?" Navi said. "She made you feel bad about not visiting, didn't she?" The faerie buzzed angrily. 

Link sighed. "That's just it. She thinks that I neglected to visit in seven years, and yet I have memories of visits to Kakariko!" 

"But they really didn't happen." Rae said gently. 

"But I remember it all the same." Link said.

  
~*~*~*~ 

The distance from Kakariko Village to Goron City was a two-day journey. Link and Rae entered the city just after noon, stomachs full from a brief lunch. 

"Huh. Where is everybody?" Navi floated around the circular main chamber, bell-like voice echoing. 

"Don't know." link replied. "Let's talk to Darunia." Rae followed him through the city, their footsteps ringing on the stone floors. They went down four levels before they finally reached the ground floor.  Rae stopped to examine the large, 3-faced Goron pot as Link opened the door to Darunia's room and went in. She, of course, knew he wasn't there. 

"Rae," She heard Link's voice, "Come in here."

Rae did, entering the room, surprised to find a tiny Goron at Link's side.

"This is Darunia's son." Link looked embarrassed. "Uh – his name is Link." 

"Yep!" The Goron said proudly. "My dad named me after the great Dodongo – buster, Link!" 

Rae smiled. "Hello. Where is your dad?"

"Oh." The Goron's face dropped. "He went to the Fire Temple to fight the Dragon."

"Dragon?!" Navi exclaimed. 

Goron – Link squinted at the faerie, but continued. "Yep. A long time ago, a dragon called Volvagia lived in this Mountain. He ate Gorons!" He shuddered. "Scary, huh? Anyway, the hero of the Gorons lifted a big hammer and BOOM!" He made a pounding motion with his hands "Destroyed Volvagia just like that!"

"Where are all of the Gorons?" Link asked. "This place is deserted."

"My dad was at the Temple when Gannon's followers came and took them all to be eaten by Volvagia! They said it was to teach a lesson to all who opposed Ganon!" Goron Link looked up at them with a sad look on his face. "Dad went to save them, but u think he'll need help! Please!" The Goron pleaded. "Help my dad!"

Rae laid a hand on the little guy's shoulder. "Don't you worry, we're on it." Goron Link went to a table and opening a drawer, he pulled out a pair of red tunics.

"Here." He said. "These are specially made so that you will keep cool in the heat. Take them."

"Thank you." Link said, passing one to Rae. 

"There are two ways into the volcano, but this is the easiest." Goron Link pointed at his father's stone chair. "Pull it forward. Go ahead! Try it!"

Gripping one side of the chair, Link gave a great heave. There was an ominous creak, and the chair slid forward. Rae took hold of the other side, sdding her strength to Link's. Together, they revealed a passage behind the grand stone throne. 

Both took a second to pull on tunics. Link shoved his green hat into a pocket, and Rae traded in her long black cloak, folding it neatly into her pack.  

"Good Luck!" Goron Link said as they went through the hidden passage. "Please help my people! And my dad!"

~*~*~*~

"Now what?" Navi said sarcastically. They had come to a bridge that led to the Temple, however, the centre had fallen out and it was too far to jump to the other side. 

Rae watched Link's face as every possible solution crossed his mind. Eyes judged the distance, looked around and above for helpful handlings and landed on the pole on the opposite side. Link pulled out his hookshot. 

"Grab onto the bridge when we hit the other side, all right?" Rae nodded, one hand tightly grasping his tunic at his chest as he slid one arm securely around her waist. 

"Hey!" Navi called out. "What are you two doing?" Link aimed the hookshot. Rae connected with the bridge, fingers digging into the planks. Link let go of her, imitating her action. They pulled themselves onto the bridge instantaneously. 

There was the sound of footsteps, and Link and Rae looked up to see a young man of about their age approach them. He had blonde hair that stuck out from under the edge of his head-wrap, and his eyes were a disturbing and yet haunting shade of Brandy-red. He had a scarf that covered the lower half of his face, and a white over-shirt that bore the eye of truth. He wore a skin-tight body suit of violet and black, and tight, hard-soled boots. There were white wrappings in place of gantlets, and there was a leather case barely seen, hanging on his back. The boy was well muscled, and yet slim and limber at the same time. 

Link introduced him. "This is Sheik." Link introduced Rae. "This is Rae."

Sheik's crimson eyes narrowed as he quickly, and obviously, looked Rae over. "You are not supposed to be here." 

Rae shrugged, her gaze never wavering from his. "Yet I am." She twirled her staff almost nervously. _Damn! That costume is so real! And how did he know that I didn't belong?_

Sheik looked at her for a long moment. "You remind me of…" He broke off, reaching behind his back to pull out his harp. He turned his attention to Link. "I will teach you the melody called the Bolero of Fire. When you play it, you will be transported here. This song is dedicated to the power of the heart." With one slender hand, he strummed the six notes that made up the song. Link repeated it a few times, memorizing it. 

Sheik stepped back a couple of paces, his harp put away. His eyes once again sought out Rae's. She winked at him, mouthing 'I know your secret.' Link was examining his ocarina, so he didn't see. The Sheikah blinked a few times. A ring of fire suddenly appeared around him, and it raged until he couldn't be seen. Link and Rae stumbled backwards, and when it dimmed, Sheik was gone.

"Goddess." Link mumbled. "I hate it when he does that."

Rae clapped him on the shoulder. "Aw, he's just a stiff. C'mon—onward to the Fire Temple!" She led the way through the entrance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, for those of you who just may be a teensy-tiny bit confused…NO, it's not Anju that's my fave, but rather SHEIK!!! And yes, I do know that in the game that 'he' is really a 'she' that is really 'Princess Z,' (ha- that rhymed) but this is my story and I've CHANGED IT!!! MU-HA-HA!!!!

A-hem…

Please review.

*OracleVortex*

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	5. The Dungeon and the Dragon

Chapter 5: The Dungeon & the Dragon

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Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda etc.

 He-he! Didja catch the joke in my title?? … Okay, so maybe it wasn't that funny…

This chapter is dedicated to shike77, who has been kind enough to review TWO of my works!! (Yes, I _do _read my reviews!) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Link peered around the corner, one hand warning Rae to stay behind him. Rae was peeking around the opposite corner, keeping an eye out for boulders. "The coast is clear." Rae said.

"All right." Said Link, turning. "Go!" They dashed across the hall, leaning up against a wall on the other side. A blue glow flew down from over the wall, and dropped in front of Link's face.

"Guess what I found!" Navi nattered excitedly. "The Gorons are all being held on the other side of this maze!"

"Good job," Link said to the faerie. "Show us the way!"

"Follow me!" She flew off in a trail of glowing sparkles. Link and Rae kept close behind the faerie, dodging the dangerous boulders of the maze. They had to stop at a four way crossing at one point when three large rocks came rolling in from every direction.  

"Watch it!" Rae pulled on Link's scabbard, making him stumble backwards. The three boulders hit each other at the same time, and exploded into many tiny shards. Link held out his shield over him and Rae. 

"Link, are you alright?" Navi fussed as Link tried to wave her off. 

Rae brushed herself off. "Nice to know you care about me." 

"Are _you_ all right?" Link asked gently. He smiled kindly at her, his blue eyes glittering in the light of the room.

Rae felt her face grow hot, and it had nothing to do with the heat of the temple. She flicked a stone fragment off of Link's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm cool."

"Hey! Look!" Rang Navi. The two heroes turned to see a large cage set into an alcove in the wall. They rushed over, seeing that the Gorons were inside.

"Link! I never thought that I would see you again!" 

"Darunia?" Link's voice was uncertain. A larger Goron came to the front of the cage, his beetle black eyes wide in amazement. Large fists folded around the steel bars. 

"Brother, can you get us out of here?" 

Link scratched his head, looking around. "I dunno. Is there a switch or something?"      

A small Goron near the front of the cage spoke up. "When they brought Darunia, one of Gannon's minions pressed a hidden panel on the wall."

Rae and Link set about feeling the wall for a hidden switch. Rae felt her fingers press in one of the stone clocks. There was a loud grinding sound as the iron bars grated aside. Rae suddenly found herself squished against the broad chest of a Goron, Link to her other side. Darunia let them go. 

"Ah, thank you!" Darunia bent to discern who it was that just saved him. "Brother, who is this?" 

"Darunia, this is Rae." Link said. "She's travelling with me."

"You bring a woman into the fires of Death Mountain?" Darunia questioned. "She must be a strong one to get this far." He winked at Link. "A fine choice."

Link muttered something incoherently, moving from one foot to the other. Rae hid a smile at his embarrassment.  Darunia clapped a large hand to Link's back. The Hyrulian stumbled forward a bit. "Once again I, and my people are in your debt. I will take my people back to the city and return to help you vanquish the Dragon!" He led the Gorons out of the cage and into the maze. "Come! I know this place like the back of my hand!" 

The same small Goron that had told them about the switch, stayed behind. "If you want to defeat the Dragon, you should look for the Megaton Hammer."

"Megaton hammer?" Repeated Link. 

The small Goron nodded. "When the legendary Goron hero finished off Volvagia, he left the hammer to rest in this temple somewhere." He began to jog after the rest of his friends. "Look for it!"

"Megaton Hammer, eh?" Link said. "I wonder where that is…"

~*~*~*~

"Go! Now!" At Link pressing the switch, Rae sprinted up the stairs, arms out to keep her balance. 

"This isn't good, this isn't good…" Rae repeated over and over, trying to ignore the long drop to the lava filled room below. Leaving the top step just as the fire barrier sprang up, she skidded to a stop before she ran into the fire ring. Rae thumped back down the narrow stairs, wearily flopping on the bottom one. "Your turn."

They repeated the motion a couple of times over, before giving up entirely. Navi floated near-by, watching them with much curiosity. She flittered over to land in Link's lap. "This trap is made to keep out one person, why doesn't one of you just stand at the top and wait until the other pushes the switch before opening the chest?" 

Link and Rae stared at each other. Rae rolled her eyes, wiping the back of her forehead with a hand. "My god, are we stupid…" So concerned with keeping to the plotline of the story, she forgot that there were some things that she could skip.

"No…" Link sighed, reaching into his pack. "Just tired. Drink this." He tossed her a bottle of green liquid. 'It's an energy potion." 

(A/N: Yes, I know that green usually equals magic, but I've changed it to energy. For example, if Link cannot summon the power of Din's Fire, it's because he doesn't have the _energy _to do so, not the magic power.)

Rae caught the bottle in one hand, uncorking it with the other. She tipped the drink down her throat, and tossed it back to link half empty. It tingled as the liquid ran down her throat, sending the feeling through her limbs. She blinked and suddenly she felt like she just had ten hours of sleep. She stood. "I'll go to get the hammer." 

Link nodded, wiping his mouth on the back of one hand. "Okay, tell me when you're ready."

A few minutes later, they were both walking out of the room with Link carrying the Megaton Hammer in both hands. They slowly moved through the dungeon and because of the weight of the hammer, Link could not run. Coming back to the rusty-chained door that was in the main room, Link swung the hammer at it. With a loud clatter and a heavy vibrating thud, the door collapsed inwards and Link and Rae were allowed to step over the thresh hold. 

They came into an empty room, bare except for the Goron design on the floor. 

"This looks suspicious…" Navi said.

Rae let out a half scream as the floor beneath her suddenly dropped. Link yelped, holding the hammer out to one side so it wouldn't squish him when they landed. In a short period, they connected with the hot floor of another cavern. This one was almost like a dome, with a single platform in the centre of a lava pool. Rae braced herself on her staff as she stood. 

A deep vibrating, like thunder rang through the area, and Link and Rae dove out of the way as a wall of lava was sent onto the platform. It sizzled on contact, melting the secure stone of the rising. From out of the wave, a large creature surfaced from the fiery river. Long and narrow, and as red as the deepest sunset, a dragon hovered above the two heroes, unaided by wings. Letting out a roar of flames, she dove into the magma again. There was a low rumbling as she swam around. 

"Where is she?" Rae yelled.

Navi circled the room. "I can't see her!"

"Look out!" Link cried, one arm reaching for her. "Behind you!" Rae spun, scrambling backwards at the same time. Volvagia reared her head, shooting a thin flare of fire. She half-crawled onto the stone platform. "Rae!" 

Rae screamed as the fire hit her legs, sending her to the ground. "Link!" She writhed in agony, her pants aflame. "H-help me!'

Link dug into Rae's pack, pulling out her coat and smothering her legs. A thunderous roar drew Link's attention. With the flames out, he stood protectively over Rae. Volvagia snarled at him. 

"By the Goddess!" He cried, swinging the Megaton Hammer with all his might. It smashed against the dragon's jaw with a sickening crunch. Volvagia staggered, stunned. With another angry yell, Link sung the hammer again, using a strength he didn't even know he possessed. Volvagia collapsed, her skull smashed in. Link laboured to breathe, trembling as he picked up Rae. The Megaton Hammer dropped to the ground with a loud thump. Making for the blue portal that was slowly appearing, he gave the dragon's body a kick for good measure. Dead, the body was already disintegrating, burning up from the internal fire in Volvagia' belly. Link stood in the blue light and waited as it encased him and Rae in its transporting jewel. 

~*~*~*~

Darunia appeared on the symbol of the Gorons, a slight grin on his face. This disappeared when he saw Rae, limp in Link's arms. "Brother, what happened?" 

"She was taken by surprise be Volvagia." Link said. "She needs a healer! Quickly!" 

Darunia thumped one fist to his chest. "Say no more! As Sage of Fire, I have the ability to transport you to Kakariko Village." A red fire glowed in Darunia's hand and a small red disc materialized. "As a sign of my gratitude, I'll give you my power contained within the Medallion of Fire."

Link shifted Rae's weight long enough to snatch the medallion from the Goron's hand. "Thank-you." Rae whimpered, nails digging into Link's chest. "Darunia – if you could?"

He waved a hand, and the Hero of Time was lifted off of his feet. Encased in the blue jewel once more, he heard Darunia call out to him.

"Don't forget, now you and I are true brothers…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duh –duh- DUH!! What will happen to our heroine? Will she ever walk again? Find out in the next chapter!!

Sorry that it took so long to get this out. I was revising other stories and school just started up again… Plus, this is my least favourite dungeon, so it was hard to write for me. Next chapter will be a long one! I promise!

OracleVortex

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	6. Fire and Ice

Chapter 6: Fire and Ice

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Disclaimer: Nope…still don't own Zelda.

Didja think that Sheik was only going to appear when he had a song to teach? I think not! He has a personality! He has feelings! He has priorities just like Link and Rae! You WILL be seeing a LOT more of him!!

*ALSO* Guest appearance from Saria of Kokiri Forest!! (Actually, she doesn't _ appear _ so to say…)

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"Go, child." The old lady cackled, pushing the much taller Hyrulian out of the room. "You cannot do her any good with your dark troubles sickening the room."

Link stumbled down the steps, his forehead creased in worry. It had been a few days since the fire temple, and Rae had developed a nasty fever. She was getting worse by the hour, and she was becoming delusional. Link exited the house, letting his feet carry him to wherever they wanted to go. Navi tentatively poked out of Link's shirt pocket. 

"Is she going to be okay?" Navi asked in a tiny voice. 

Link patted the faerie. "She'll be fine."

"She didn't look healthy." Navi said. "I've never seen a person like that before." This was true. Because Navi was a faerie, she lived with he Kokiri, who never fell ill or sick. 

"It happens." Link reassured her. The truth was, living with the Kokiri all his life; he'd never seen illness either. He himself had never been sick.

Navi escaped into the air; puffing herself up importantly. "That's good, because I didn't get a chance to tell her how stupid she was in the Fire Temple." This was what she gave him to cover up her concern. Knowing the little faerie, she wouldn't want to show any feeling towards the foreign girl. Navi froze in mid-air. "Link…" She said in a voice that wasn't her own.

"Navi…what's wrong?" The faerie seemed to be in a trance. 

"Link…can you hear me? It's Saria…"

Link brightened at this. Saria was contacting him though Navi! "Saria, I can hear you. How are you?"

"I am alright…the forest is almost back to normal now…thanks to you…How are you?"

"I took on a partner…or rather, she took me on…"

"Yes…Rae is her name…isn't it?"

"How did you know that?"

"All the sages are in contact with one another…Darunia told me…he said she was hurt…"

Link looked down at clenched hands. He eased them from the feral position. "Yes…she doesn't seem to be getting any better…I'm worried, Saria."

For a moment, the light voice didn't reply. "You care for her very much, don't you?"

"Of course I don—" Link stopped, then started again, shaking his head. "Actually, yes, yes I do."

"Zora's Domain needs your help, Link." Saria changed the subject. "Since you have returned, the place has been transformed into an ice land. Go to the fountain in Zora's Domain. There is a cavern there. Retrieve the iron boots. You will need them to enter the Water Temple and break the curse that is on Zora's Domain."

"But what about Rae?" Link asked, distressed.

"Impa…I think that you know who she is…is near Kakariko…she may know of a remedy for your friend. You must help the Zoras, Link. There isn't much time before the damage that is done will be…irreversible." 

~*~*~*~

_Fall, Seventh year of Gannon's reign…_

Just when I think that things are starting to wind down, Link suddenly shows up again. I haven't seen the young man for at least seven years, and now he's all grown up. He stopped by, not long ago, to introduce me to a new friend of his, Rae. She is a strange girl; her ears are not pointed like a Hyrulian or a Hylian, but her appearance doesn't match that of a Gerudo. Perhaps she is from a foreign land. 

_They left for Goron City, not five days ago, and then suddenly returned, with Rae injured. The sky over Death Mountain cleared, so I think that they had something to do with it. Merchants have started taking runs up to the Gorons now that the area is safe. _

_Link left for Zora's Domain five days ago. By now he should be in the icy region that once was a proud Zora hall. I do not know what he may be looking for there, but he left Rae in my care. Parts of her legs are burnt beyond belief, and she is in a delusional fever. The local healer, a woman from a potion shop, has done all she can, but Rae doesn't seem to be getting any better. There is several people that I can think of that could further help Rae, but all of them have either died or vanished. Impa may know of hidden Sheikah healing arts; she sent a letter that she would come to see Link's companion. How she knew of Rae's sickness, I do not know, but maybe she can help. _

_The mountain may be cured of its ailment, but not all is right in Kakariko. I think that something else may be rising in the village. I can feel it._

_On a happier note, Cojiro has cheered up, thanks to Link and Rae._

…From the diary of Anju of Kakariko Village.

~*~*~*~

Link rubbed his hands together, chattering in the icy sub-zero of the cave. Following Saria's instructions, he had hopped across floating chunks of ice to enter the grotto, and now he was dodging falling stalagmites in hopes to find the infamous iron boots. Watching the rotating blade in the next room, he timed it so he could run across without being hit by it. Reaching the other side safely, Link tapped on the frosty iron poles that barred his way. One of them fell loose, and he squeezed through the narrow opening. The next chamber almost saw the young Hyrulian's demise, but an instinctive step backwards saved his life. A frigid blast of arctic wind blew past him, sending frost up the front of his Goron's tunic. The tunic did nothing to block out the chill, but it slowed the amount of heat that left Link's body. 

Link faced his glacial opponent, dodging another blast of freezing wind. Link thrust forward with the Master sword and split the ice monster in two. The shards clattered to the ground, shattering like glass. 

"A freezzard." Navi said in a matter-of-fact voice. "It'll reform again, because it feeds off of the environment."

"And I don't plan to be around to see that happen." Link went through the passage and into a cavity that contained a glowing blue hearth raised on a dais. It stopped neatly at waist level, and Link drew close to examine it. The blue fire flickered in and out, but gave off no warmth. On an impulse, Link swiped a hand through it. The action brought a cool feeling, like dipping a hand into water. 

"Blue fire." Navi informed him. "It melts red ice."

"Red _ice_?" 

"Red ice is used to freeze living things so that when they are melted, they will still be alive." Navi passed through the fire. "It can keep the person or animal alive because it generates heat. It's a magical fire."

"I see." Link pulled out a bottle and passed it through the flame. It gathered in the bottle, swirling around like mist. Link pocketed it, walking away from the stand. Perhaps he would need it for later use.

~*~*~*~

"Can you do anything?" Anju asked anxiously.

Standing over Rae, who was now muttering in her sleep, Impa shook her head. The leader of the village, Impa was every inch a Sheikah. With silver hair and signature red eyes, the eye of truth was printed on her turtleneck collar. The short-sleeved shirt was a metallic blue, and the skin-tight shorts were the same color. She also wore navy gantlets and matching soft-soled boots. A knife was clearly seen, sheathed on her back.  

"I do not know." Impa said. "I am not the most skilled in the healing arts. Have you spoken to Doneia? She is an elder woman who runs a potions and herb shop."

Anju wrung her hands. "Yes, and she said that you knew more than she did."

Impa shook her head. "This girl is unlike anything that I have ever seen. She doesn't seem to be responding to our medicines like she should."

"Perhaps it's because she's not from around here." 

Impa looked at Anju sharply. "What do you mean?" 

"She doesn't have pointed ears, and yet she is not a Gerudo." Anju explained timidly. "I do not think that she is from Hyrule."

Impa thought this over. "You may be right. This could be why she is not responding." She turned to leave. "Another will come shortly. He is more skilled at healing than anyone I know."

"Who is he?"

"You know him." Impa said. "He will arrive soon." Impa stopped with one hand on the door. "I will not be around for a while, I must go to the Shadow Temple."

"But why?" Anju asked. "I thought that everything was fine." 

"Something is going to happen soon." Impa's voice was serious. "There is a chance that I may be able to head it off."

~*~*~*~

Link braced himself on his knees, panting hard from moving in such a cold state. The body of a dead ice wolfos lay near-by. Link wiped a trickle of blood running from his forearm, and then went to the treasure chest. Inside he found shaped iron-plates that could be attached to his boots to make him sink in water. "The iron boots." He said in a low voice. 

"Keep them close, you will need them." 

Link turned to see Sheik standing by the door. When did he come in? 

"Where is Rae?" Sheik asked casually. "She is still helping you, is she not?"

Link sheathed the Master sword and pulled out his ocarina. "Of course, but she was seriously hurt when we were fighting Volvagia."

Sheik's eyes widened at this. "Is she alright?" He asked urgently. 

Surprised by his concern, Link nodded. A slow churning in his stomach said that her condition was otherwise, but he ignored it. "She's resting in Kakariko village. I left her in the care of a cucco lady by the name of Anju."

Sheik visibly relaxed at this. "I know Anju. You did the right thing." He pulled out his harp, but did not immediately begin to play. "As you know, all of Zora's Domain is frozen. The Zora race is trapped beneath the icy spell placed on them. I, however, managed to save the Zora princess. I believe that you know her."

"Ruto?" Link asked, recalling the fish-like princess he had met so many years ago. 

Sheik nodded. "Yes. Princess Ruto has gone to the Water Temple in order to defeat the evil that lurks there. It was it that created this ice age for the Zoras." He rested his fingers against the strings of the harp. "Time passes, people change… We are a river's flow that never ends. This is the Serenade of Water. It will take you to Lake Hylia." He played a song that rose with each note. Link played it over a few times.

Sheik vanished in a flash of light so quickly that Link didn't even get a chance to look at the guy. Blinking away lasting dots of light in his eyes, Link took a swig of an energy potion before putting the boots on and dropping through the hole on the other side of the room. He went through the door he found there and preceded to leave the cavern. 

~*~*~*~

It was hot. Rae was sweating, pulling at the light sheet that felt like a wool comforter to her. Her hands were on fire; so were her legs. "Put it out…" She moaned, thrashing around. She felt a pair of hands pin her down.

"…Down…take…easy…" Was there something wrong with her ears? It seemed like she was underwater, but how could that be when she felt like she was lying in flames?  "Rae…Anju…" Anju? What was Anju doing in the Fire Temple?

"Dragon…" Rae said thickly. "Run…"

A cool hand positioned itself over Rae's forehead. There was a popping in her ears, like she was flying in an airplane. "Is…better?" A deep voice asked. It wasn't Anju this time; it was a man.

Rae groaned, as the man took her hands in his. She tried squinting to see who it was, but all she saw was a blue and blonde blur. "Link?"

"…Gone..." Rae felt fingers run across her palms. She sucked in her breath at the light touch. The hot blanket that covered her was lifted, and the same light touch landed on her burns; the throbbing in her legs increased, but in a nice, relaxing sort of way. Rae felt better and the flame in her limbs was dying, but her sight was no better. 

"Link's not…dead, is he?" Rae managed to say.

"No, he…to…temple." The man said. 

Temple? "Dragon's…dead, right?"

"Yes, you…it."

Rae relaxed, realizing that she was lying in a bed. The blonde – blue blur and the red-green blur that was Anju faded in her vision. Closing her eyes, she willingly drifted into the darkness of sleep. 

~*~*~*~

Link walked through the passage, the icy darkness making his skin crawl. Now, more than ever, he regretted leaving Rae behind. A light at the end of the tunnel warmed him a bit, and he came to the end of the passage. Pulling off the iron boots and slinging them over his shoulder, he struggled to swim to the surface. When he hit the top, he pulled himself up and walked down a hall to the rest of the temple. 

Link gaped up at the tall ceiling, and then down into the murky depths of the surrounding water. If it had been any other time, he would have thought that the place was a beautiful, tranquil setting, however, in the distance, he could hear a faint scrapping. He could feel a darkness leering at him and an evil beckoning for him to give his best shot. 

Link explored the main level, finding water spiders, but nothing else. Deciding to take another dip (to Navi's horror) he put the iron boots on and let them drag him to the bottom of the temple.  Down, he drifted, watching as three different levels passed by him. As the minutes passed, Link grew ever grateful that he had taken the time to unfreeze the Zora king and receive the tunic made by the Zoras. If it weren't for the special fabric that enabled him to breathe with the special encompassing hood up, Link would have easily drowned long ago. Navi bobbed along with him, impervious to the water; she didn't need to breathe.

Landing on the soft sandy floor, Link circled the middle until he found an open passageway with two torches on either side. It seemed to lead to an important chamber. Link strode into the passage, peeking around the corner as he did so. 

"Link!" Came a light and happy voice under the water. 

"Ruto?" Link said, the word exiting the transparent hood front as bubbles. 

In the room, stood a Zora, one of the mer-people. It was Ruto, the Princess of the Zoras. So this was where she went when Sheik rescued her…

As if hearing a silent wondering, Ruto clarified the situation. "I came here to defeat the evil in the temple." She smiled fondly at Link. "Oh, I've been waiting for you, beloved. Where have you been all these years?"

"Beloved?" Link bubbled.

Apparently, Ruto understood. "Yes – don't think that I forgot your promise to me, 7 years ago. I gave you the Zora's engagement ring, after all."

"Engagement ring?" Exclaimed Link. He didn't remember anything about an engagement ring! 

Ruto waved a fin at him. "Well, we can't talk about that now. We have work to do! We need to find the 3 places that change the water levels in the Temple. Then we can reach where the evil is lurking!" She kicked off of the ground. "Follow me!" Hastening to pull off his shoes, Link slowly followed the Princess. 

"Wait up!" He burst out in a bubbling way. Ruto didn't hear, and went out of the water. A minute or so later, Link surfaced. "Ruto?" He sputtered, lifting himself out of the water. He looked around vainly. The Zora was gone.

"Where did she go?" Asked Navi.

~*~*~*~

Rae opened her eyes, thinking that she was still in the fire temple against Volvagia. She bolted upright, gasping with pain. She saw that she was in a room, fairly threadbare, except for a night table and three other beds.  Where was she? Rae half-heartedly thought about looking out of the window that was directly across from her, but that would have required getting up. She didn't have enough energy to do that.

Rae peeked under the thin sheet that covered her lower body and saw that she was only in her underwear. She noticed, with a wince, that from mid-thigh to mid-calf, she sported linen wraps.

Rae recalled a hazy period of sleep and consciousness. "Anju…" She croaked, remembering. Her throat was dry. Looking to her left and seeing a tray of drink and food sitting on the night table, Rae reached for the cup.

"Here, let me get that for you."

The mug tipped, knocked over by a startled muscle spasm on Rae's part. "Oops." Rae apologized in a raspy voice.

Anju shook her head, coming over from her place at the door. "Don't worry about a thing." She sopped up the spill with a cloth napkin. "You're hurt and under my care now, so just lay back and heal." She pushed a strand of red hair out of her face. "How are you feeling?"

"Crispy." Rae groaned. "Where's Link?"

"Is the sheet too constricting?" Anju fussed, dodging Rae's question entirely. "I wasn't sure what would be cool after tromping through a volcano."

"Anju…" Rae said sternly. "Where's Link?"

Anju pushed the same strand of red hair out of her face again.  "Well…he asked me to give you this." She handed Rae a note. Rae stared at the foreign symbols. "He said that he's going to the next temple, if that helps any."

Rae crumpled the paper in her hand. A boiling rage bubbled up in her, threatening to melt all reasonable thoughts and arguments. "That sonovabitch." Rae hissed. "He left without me! When I get my hands on him I am going to give him SUCH a piece of my mind…" She trailed off, an endless ramble of threats and curses issuing from her mouth. He went on without her!! How could he? They were partners!

Anju quietly slipped out, some of the swearing shocking her, while others didn't make any sense. She only came back to sneak another glass of water onto the nightstand. Rae thanked her in the middle of her endless ranting, then continued on again.

~*~*~*~

Link examined the plaque on the wall carefully. Basically it was just like the Triforce symbol surrounded with designs of water holding and flowing around it. There was an inscription of six dots at the top, written in a three-dot pattern. Looking at it closer, he realized that it was the melody for Zelda's lullaby. Pulling out his ocarina, he played it. The short song echoed in the Temple and for a moment, everything slowed to a stop. Then Link heard a rushing sound and he glanced through the hole in the floor. The water level was receding.

_Hmm…_ Link thought, starting to climb back down. _This must be one of the water level switches Ruto was talking about…_

~*~*~*~

Rae glared venomously at the window, as if daring her sylvan partner to sneak in. Her arms were crossed tightly, and she was twitching, using the waves of pain issuing from her legs as a fuel for her anger. "Goddam it Link." She fumed. "I HATE YOU!" 

Sheik had appeared in the window, freezing as the last part of her yell was seemingly directed at him. From his perch on the sill, Sheik raised his arms in surrender. "I'm sorry – if you want, I'll leave…"

Rae blinked, a little unsure of what just happened. "No…no, come in." Sheik did so, but did not venture any further. Rae sighed. "I wasn't yelling at you…I was yelling at Link."

Sheik managed to look puzzled, even with his scarf over his mouth. "Link? But Link's over in—"

"The water temple. Yes, I know…I was just venting anger." Rae tilted her head to look at the Sheikah. She still couldn't believe that that was a disguise! "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Sheik examined his shoes with a great curiosity. "Oh…I just came to see if you were alright. I heard about the accident with Volvagia." He looked up at her. "You _are_ alright, right?"

Rae shrugged. "Sorta." She wiggled fingers at her legs. "I still can't walk."

Sheik was suddenly kneeling beside her bed. "That's strange, you should be almost fully healed by now." 

Rae frowned. She could remember a blue and blonde blur healing her wounds. "Where you the one who healed me?" 

"Uh, huh." He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. "You had quite a fever; you were delirious for a while." 

"Just how long have you been checking in on me?" Rae questioned. Sheik didn't answer. "Wait- I get it…"

He looked up at her, panic shooting across crimson pupils. "You do?"

"You bet." Rae said confidently. "Link asked you to keep an eye on me, didn't he?" 

Sheik looked away. "Oh – of course, yes." He hesitated to examine her legs, slender digits hovering above the sheet. "May I?"

"Yeah – go ahead." What was the big deal? After all, they were both girls; Sheik was really Zelda in disguise. He lifted the sheet past her knees, stopping just above the burn's edge at mid-thigh. It left her some modesty, something that Sheik was taking into careful consideration. 

"Do you remember when we first met – in the crater of Death Mountain?" Sheik asked. Rae nodded. "What was the 'secret' that you knew?" 

"Oh, come on Princess," Rae admonished.  "You don't have to play that with me."

Sheik stopped, dropping the sheet back over Rae's legs. "Ex-cuse me?"

Rae sighed. "Princess, princess, princess. I know that Sheik is just a disguise that you're using to hide from Ganon. You don't have to keep that up with me, okay? I know."

"Disguise?" Sheik sputtered, abruptly standing and backing into the next bed. His face was red, and he was stuttering. "You think I'm just a façade?" 

Rae suddenly felt really self-conscious. "Ah – well…"

Sheik gripped the bed knob tightly. "Whatever gave you _that_ idea?!"

Rae stared at the stricken person critically. Now, either Zelda was putting on a convincing act, or she had just made a huge mistake. "Um…Zel-Shei-er…maybe you'd better sit down…"

Sheik – or Zelda – collapsed onto the other bed, head in hands. "By the Eye…she thinks I'm a girl…" Came a muffled mantra.

"You're not Zelda…are you?" Rae asked carefully. 

"Of course not." He peered at her from between his fingers. "How did you come to that in the first place?"

Rae rubbed the back of her neck. Now she felt really bad. Obviously she had almost given Sheik – a real person and not an idea – a heart attack. She couldn't feed him her 'messenger of Nintendo' reel. "Ah, well…" Rae mumbled her story – her real one. 

~*~*~*~

Navi hovered around the bars of the door, her voice ringing in Link's ears. "We need to find someway to lift the bars."

"I'm the only one who can open it." A voice said smugly. "Defeat me and I'll let you pass." Link spun to see a tall gangly creature crouched in front of the weeping willow tree in the centre of the room. 

"Careful, Link!" Navi twined. "It's a doppelganger! It can mimic you as if it _were_ you, when it knows your name!"

"And now, because of you, my little faerie, " the doppelganger hissed, "I _do_ know his name!" Before Link's eyes, it bent and twisted, morphing into a mirror image of Link.

"Eep!" Navi swirled into the real Link's pocket. "Attack him as if he were you!" 

Link and the doppelganger circled each other carefully, identical master sword drawn and at the ready. Link struck forward first, but the creature was already jumping to the side like he knew it was coming. He thrust forward, then twirled for a crescent moon slice, but the dark link only danced away, smiling. This continued on for a while, as Link attacked and dark Link parried or stepped out of the way. Catching his breath, the real Link backed off slightly, shifting his grip on his sword slightly. It was in this instant that the doppelganger leapt forward, his sword hitting Link's with immense precision. The master sword was knocked from Link's hand and he swore as his arm was flung backwards by the hit. The copycat was on him in a second, suddenly clawed fingers reaching for the hero's throat.

His other self grinned evilly at him, lips grotesquely pulling back from his teeth. Hands tightly restricting around Link's neck, he pinned him under the water. Without the hood of the tunic up, Link was liable to drown. Link groped blindly in the water, first at the doppelganger's hands, then at his fingers. Losing the energy to fight on, Link let his arms drop limply to his sides. His right hand landed on his quiver, the arrows inside jostling against questing fingers. Link grasped one loosely, using one swift movement to bring it out of the water and into the doppelganger's neck. Link twisted his wrist, weakly seeing the look of horror on his other self's face. The hands at his neck slid loose, and Link bolted out of the water, sputtering and scrambling backwards. 

The doppelganger clutched his neck, thick black blood dripping between his fingers. The image that he projected wavered and fell and the creature died. It collapsed to the ground, curling up in a dark ball that sank under the surface of the water.

"Are you okay?" Navi said worriedly. 

Link nodded, rising unsteadily to his feet. With the doppelganger dead, the bars on the door retreated. The room flickered and the scenery changed. The tree and two stone slabs vanished and the seemingly endless lake faded away to reveal walls. Link went through the door. In this room, there was a small altar at the far wall. It was swathed in a misty light. Upon further inspection, it was a larger version of the hookshot. 

"Navi?"

"It's the legendary longshot." The faerie supplied. "It has twice the range of Dampe's hookshot."

Link cautiously picked up the weapon, and the glowing light started to die. In it's place, Link left the hookshot. It didn't seem to be right to just take it. Link left the room, doubling back the way he came. Trudging through the water, he noticed that the doppelganger's body had disappeared. This only made the hero move faster. 

  
~*~*~*~

Rae munched on a cheese sandwich, silently waiting for the Sheikah across from her to speak first. He hadn't said a word since she finished her story, and she didn't really know what he truly thought of it. 

"A different world…" He murmured thoughtfully. "That explains a few things…"

"So you believe me?" Rae said meekly.   

"Yes." He said. "I can see how you were…confused, but that isn't anywhere near the truth of it." He paused; inspecting the contents in-between the two slices of bread he was holding. Picking it apart, he pulled out all the pieces of chicken. "I don't eat meat." He explained, seeing her inquiring glance.

"Oh." _Wow…he's a vegetarian…cool. _Picking up her cup, Rae saw a crumpled piece of paper on the night table. Rae passed Sheik the note that Link had left her, feeling stupid as she did so. "I can't read your language. Can you tell me what it says?"

"Sure." Sheik said, smoothing the paper out.

"Raye, 

I know that you are going to be super-mad at me, but you need the time to heal. I'll head to the Water Temple, but when I talked to Saria, she said that I needed the iron boots to get in. I'll make a stop at Zora's Domain first. You can't follow me without the boots, so don't even try. I'll see you in a little while, so please try to rest.

                               From, Link 

PS. If you look in the night table drawer, you will find a green and tan ocarina. A good friend of mine gave this to me a long time ago. I now give it to you, because there may be a time when you will need it."

Rae pulled the drawer open and sighed. "He's trying to make me less mad." 

"I don't blame him. The curse on Zora's Domain is almost permanent; he had to go now."  Sheik said, handing her back the note. "He _is_ right, you know. He's only taking your well-being into account."

"I know." Rae grumbled, turning the instrument over in her hands. "But who's going to take in his?"

~*~*~*~

TBC

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

_Next_ chapter will see the end of the Water Temple. Oh well…it's quality…right?

*Hears nothing*

????

Oh…I forgot…ya hafta review first…

*coughhintcough*

Oh, and yes, I do know that Rae was spelled differently in Link's letter. I meant it that way…he doesn't know how to spell it. (He didn't go to school…did he?)

OracleVortex

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	7. Sheik's Got a Secret

Chapter 7: Sheik's got a secret…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing…*sigh*…how depressing…

Sorry again for how long it took to update this, it's just that I've been busy…with a GUY!!!

* Reads back what she typed *

Whoa…that sounds pretty naughty, doesn't it? Well, it's not like that…but you want to read the story, and not my life…

Read on!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sheik sat in the window, idly strumming his harp, and for the first time, Rae noticed that she was staring him directly in the face, his whole face. His gaze flickered over to match hers, and something wavered behind his eyes. "It seems – to me – that since you've told me your story…I should tell you mine."

Rae shook her head. "You don't have to do that."

"But I…" He hesitated a moment. "…I want you to know." Sheik set the harp aside, coming to sit across from Rae. "The truth is, you weren't so far off on your assumption that Zelda is using me as a façade, something to hide behind. Your thinking that I was really her…threw me off balance."

"To say the least." Rae said.

Sheik rubbed his neck. "Yeah…you see, Zelda is hiding, where, I cannot tell you. Because of our unique connection, she is able to keep tabs on the world through me. She and I have a physic link to one another."

"Unique connection?" Rae asked. 

Sheik nodded. Leaning to talk into her ear, he whispered, "Zelda…is my sister."

Heart racing, Rae stared at him. "You're what – twins?"

"Yes."

"But what about your eyes?"

Sheik absently ran a finger under his eyes. "When Zelda and I were born, her eyes stayed the blue of a newborn baby. Mine, however, quickly darkened to the crimson of the Sheikah. There is Sheikah blood in Hyrule's royal family, and the slight chance that the next born will inherit a Sheikah's responsibility is always there." He fingered his white over shirt. "To be born with the eyes of the Sheikah is to be destined to see with eyes of truth." He indicated the red symbol on his shirt. 

"Eyes of truth?" Rae asked, curious in spite of herself.

"To see into the shadows and know what is real…to see into the darkness and recognize the light." Sheik explained. "The Sheikah are the people of the shadows. This does not mean that we _serve _the darkness; it means that we are light that _lives_ in the darkness. We do not cast away all shadow, for it lives in each of us. Instead, we strive to accept it and learn to recognize it so that we aren't tainted by it."

"You learn to live with every aspect of yourselves – whether it be good or bad?"

Sheik smiled. "Exactly."

~*~*~*~

"Urg…" Link grunted through gritted teeth, fingers clawing at the unyielding tiles on the arena floor. If it he were told, seven years ago, that water could wrap around his waist and tow him into a larger body of the liquid, then he would have laughed. Now, it was all too real. Determined not to be almost drowned a second time that day, Link fiercely pulled himself onto the platform, kicking the water creature off of him. 

"Behind you!" Navi screamed, flittering about. Link spun on wobbly legs, sword slashing out in front of him.

The blob of rainbow-colored flesh bobbed out of the way, suspended in the air by a tentacle of water. It's image rippled in the liquid, making it considerably harder for Link to actually hit the creature. 

After a few swipes at it with his sword, Link growled in frustration.

"It's not working Link!" Navi yelled. "Try something else!"

With a fierce hiss, Link, unable to think of anything else, thrust his hand into the watery being. It shrieked, suddenly throwing droplets everywhere. The rainbow – colored creature wriggled in Link's fierce grasp, a low whining issuing from a non-existent mouth. Link's eyes narrowed to thin slits, and he wrenched his hand out of the floating stream of water. 

"Link…" Navi, a bit shocked at this new savageness, hovered back a bit.

Pulling out an arrow, Link shoved the arrowhead through the center of the creature's body. With a pitiful squeal the creature wriggled in Link's iron grip and died. Link let the creature drop to the ground. The water that had been controlled by the beast had splashed onto the floor. A blue warp aura appeared, and Link walked over to it, an almost absent expression on his face. "Coming Navi?" 

"Uh…yeah…" She hestitantly followed him, unnerved by the eariler display of ruthlessness. It was completely out of character for the Hylian. 

"Navi? I want to go back to Kakariko Village."

"Coming…" 

~*~*~*~

Rae carefully walked down the stairs, one hand one the railing, the other on Sheik's arm. 

"Steady…" Sheik said. "Don't overreach yourself." He deposited her at the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for her. 

Rae grinned at him. "Would I do that?"

"Yes."

Anju watched them banter back and forth, a smile on her face. The cucco lady stirred the stew on the stove. She was used to having Sheik around…ever since her was a little boy; he had always visited her, even when he was studying the Sheikah ways or goofing off with the rest of the village children. But these where dark times, and the crimson-eyed boy had lost much of his child-like innocence. 

"I have to leave."

"What?" Rae exclaimed, her green eyes showing how she was surprised by the sudden announcement. "Now?"

Sheik nodded, tossing a fruit from one hand to another. "I will be back in a short time…and I'll have Link with me. He has freed Lake Hylia from its curse."

"How do you know?" 

"My physic connection with…" He coughed pointedly. "Allows me to keep in contact with the sages. Ruto has awoken." 

~*~*~*~

Link stood patiently on the Triforce symbol, waiting for the sage of water to appear. To his amazement, Ruto rose out of the Water symbol, beaming at him. 

"Just as I thought, beloved…you did defeat Morphia!" Ruto laughed aloud.

Link fidgeted uncomfortably. "Yeah…uh, Ruto, about that engagement thing…"

Ruto waved a fin at him. "I know what you're going to say, but don't worry about it. It can't happen."

"It can't?" Link said, confused. Did he miss something?

Ruto nodded. "Yes, I mean, I'm a sage and I have to protect the temple." She played with one of her earrings. "You understand, don't you?" 

Link agreed, inwardly cheering. _No more engagement! _"Of course."

Ruto sighed. "Oh, well. Here, I'll give you this." A blue medallion appeared in her hand. "Take it respectfully!" 

Link pocketed the treasure, inclining his head to Ruto. "Thank you." The blue warp crystal appeared and he was lifted into the air. 

"It's too bad, really…I would have liked being your wife…" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is really short, yes I know, but that's all right, because I've posted two chapters at the same time. 

*OracleVortex*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	8. Let's see how you like it

Chapter 8: Let's see how you like it…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: Nope…not mine…

Did Rae seem a bit wimpy for missing the whole water temple thing? Well now she's better, and it's Link who has to chill out at Anju's for a while! What am I talking about? Well, here's something…READ THE STORY!

It's a little bit different than the usual…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On their first outing together since Link had returned from the Water Temple, he and Rae spent the day mingling in the village and then going out to Hyrule Field for a light picnic lunch. Rae vented a bit about how she felt about being left behind, and Link countered with a little 'I was worried about you' that made her mellow out. Link taught her a few songs to play on the ocarina and as it began to rain, the two friends decided to return to Kakariko. Link and Rae meandered into Kakariko's gates with an easy air, but when they took in their surroundings that changed. Smoke was rising from the windmill, and a sick feeling filled the village. It was now raining heavily, finishing the scene of disaster. 

Link pointed. "Hey! There's Sheik!" The two heroes ran up to their comrade, stopping a few paces behind. "Sheik, what hap—"

"Get back." Sheik said in a low voice, staring into the well. The wood poles around the well burst into splinters, and a low whispering could be heard. "Link, Rae—get out of here!" 

Without warning, Sheik was picked up by an unseen force. He was batted around in mid-air for a moment and then slammed to the ground. Link was at Sheik's side in an instant, checking his pulse. As if sensing the presence of the enemy, he drew his sword. The haunting whispering of hundreds of voices reached Link's ears, and he was picked up. Tossed around like Sheik had been, Link was hurtled into a house. He sank to the ground in a crumpled heap. 

Rae watched this from the shadows of an alleyway, hugging the wall as not to be seen. The whispering entity lingered by its victims for a second, and then went away. Rae knew that it had retreated to the Shadow Temple. Stepping into the open, Rae went to Link. He was still breathing fine. Dragging him off of the wall, Rae was surprised to hear a voice call her name. Rae spun, wet hair sending drops flying. It was Anju, coming her way with an umbrella. 

"What happened?" The woman cried.

"I'll explain after." Rae said hurriedly. "But right now, I need to ask your hospitality once more."

Anju waved an arm. "Think nothing of it! Let's get them inside."

~*~*~*~

Impa faced off against the evil darkness that was looming over her. With a trained and strengthened mind, she ignored the low and shadowy whispering that beckoned to the dark thoughts within her that lived within all people. 

"I will not submit to you!" Impa yelled in defiance, taking a battle stance that also doubled as a meditative pose to focus her energy. 

__

You are filled with much doubt and fear… The entity hissed inside of her head. _Let it free…let it out of you…let it lead you…_ Impa shook the influence off, thinking of happy thoughts. 

"Go back to the abyss from whence you came!" Impa cried. "I will not let the darkness consume me!"

__

Big words for such a tainted creature…you are MINE! 

Unprepared for such a large onslaught, Impa was thrown back by the force of the attack. Hands clutching her head, the Sheikah fell to the floor.

__

You are mine…leader of the shadow people…mine…

~*~*~*~

Sheik suddenly shivered and pulled the wool blanket up around his shoulders. Something was amiss; he could feel it in his bones. Pulling the blanket even tighter, he winced as a muscle in his chest pulled on his recent wound. The young man carefully peered down his shirt, and saw a dark purple scar that stretched across his chest and around his waist. It was what the shadow creature had left on him; a wound that could feed on his dark worries and survives on evil thoughts. 

A low groan to his left drew his attention. Sheik pushed the sheets aside and went to the bed next to him. Link was asleep, a bandage across his forehead, and a long violet welt across his upper torso. It seemed that whatever had happened after Sheik had passed out, Link had also sustained an injury due to the dark creature. The Hylian breathed raggedly, fingers digging into the cot he lay on. 

But where was Rae? It seemed that she hadn't returned to the room for quiet a while. Sheik glimpsed her leaving just as he woke up, but he had not the voice to call her back. Sheik staggered to the windowsill, peering outside. It was daylight at least, and from the looks of it, he was in the attic room of Anju's house. Good. Anju was one that he knew he could trust in these dark times. 

With acute hearing, Sheik knew someone was approaching the door. The floorboards in the hall outside were creaking. The door opened a measly crack, and Rae stepped in to see Sheik, awake, but sitting upright in his bed.

"Oh! How are you feeling?" The black-blue haired girl asked. There was a dish of water and two towels on a tray in one hand, and a platter of food in the other. 

"Fine, thank-you." Sheik said, feeling his heart beat faster as she sat down next to him on the bed. He could keep his face from revealing anything that he wanted, and right now it was concealing everything. She asked him a few more questions as she dipped the towel into the steaming water, but Sheik only nodded, too busy staring at her. Those bright green eyes, and tinted hair spoke of a uniqueness that only very few possessed. There was something in the way that she walked, the way that she moved and talked that drew him to her…and why was she so familiar to him?

"Sheik? Hello?"

Sheik shook his head, scrambling for a hold on reality. "What?" 

"Have you tried to heal your wound yet?" She indicated the lavender streak that was now showing at his neck. "I think that it's spreading and growing larger, for some reason."

Sheik nodded. "It is no ordinary abrasion. It feeds on darkness and shadow. If I am not careful, it will devour me."

Rae's eyes grew wide, and she glanced over to where Link was in bed. "And Link—?"

Sheik nodded silently. The way that she could be so concerned for a person, even one whom she thought was a fictional character, touched him deeply. A tiniest part of him wished that she would be concerned for him too. 

"Well, I guess that washing the gash isn't going to help, will it?" Rae looked down at the cloth and dish that she held. Sheik followed her gaze, temped to say that it would, if not so that he could have her touch him. 

Sheik shook his head. "No, it wouldn't."

Rae put the tray aside, handing him a sandwich. "No meat."

__

She remembered!

They both watched each other for a moment. Sheik considered telling her how he felt about her. How would she react?

"Sheik, I need your help." She spoke suddenly, disrupting his train of thought.

"With what?" 

"I need to go to the Shadow Temple and defeat the evil that escaped from the well."

Startled by her bluntness, Sheik almost forgot how it was possible for her to know about the temple. "It's too dangerous. You should wait to take Link with you." 

"Link has a shadow wound. What do you think will happen if he goes into the depths of the shadows with it? And what do you think will happen if we wait any longer?" Rae's eyes flared with a sudden fire. "Anju told me that Impa went to the Shadow Temple a good three weeks ago; she hasn't returned or even sent word back." 

The Sheikah felt his stomach drop at the implication. If Impa hadn't returned, then there was a chance that the Dark Beast captured her. Rae stood and moved to the foot of Link's bed, digging into his equipment bag.

"What are you doing?" 

"I need to go back in time to get the Lens of Truth." She said.

Again Sheik was startled at her announcement. He knew that she knew everything that was going to happen in this quest, but it was unnerving to have her saying everything outright. "I assume that you know where and how to get it?"

"It's under the well, which I will enter after I play the Song of Storms in the windmill to empty the well of the water."

Sheik watched her with a miserable expression. "If you are sure that you really want to do this…" He sighed. "I do not think that I can stop you." Dipping to pick up his harp, he pointed to the ocarina in Rae's hands. "Can you play that?"

Rae nodded. "I've been practicing."

Sheik thought for a moment, fingers brushing the strings of his harp, absently. Then he plucked three of the strings in the form of a melody. "Now you try."

Rae copied the tune, getting it right on the first try. At Sheik's insistence, she played through a few times more. Afterwards, she pawed through Link's equipment, taking out several items and putting them into her own bag.

Sheik lifted the pack-strap onto Rae's shoulder, carefully brushing her blue-black hair out of the way. "Be careful."

Rae patted him on the head like he was a puppy dog. "No worries, fire-eyes. I'll be fine. Just make sure that Link doesn't follow me, alright?"

Sheik nodded, withdrawing from her. "Uh, how do you plan to go back in time?"

Rae picked up the master sword. "By putting this in the stone, of course."

"And how are you going to get back here?"

"I – " Rae stopped. "Huh. How _am_ I going to get back? Only the Hero of Time can pull the sword." She set the weapon back down. "Damn…"

"Let me teach you another song, Rae, one that'll send you back in Time." He was starting to recall something…from a long time ago…

Rae pulled out the Ocarina of Time. "You're not talking about the Song of Time, are you?" 

Sheik looked at her sharply. "You know of the Song of Time?" Rae nodded. "Hm." He grunted. "The Goddess of Time knows that you'll need to go back seven years; she'll hear it when you play the ocarina. If you play the notes forward, than you will go forward in time, but if you play them backwards, than you will be sent back in time."

"All right, teach them to me."

Sheik nodded. "There is one thing that you should remember, however. When you go back in time, you will be sent back seven years. You will return seven years, exactly, into the future, but it must be from the same spot that you left. Do you understand?"

"So I can't return unless I'm in the same spot that I left from."

"Yes. That is very important."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, now I realize that in MM, when you play the song of time in reverse, time slows down. As the author of this story, I have decided to ignore that because it doesn't apply to what I'm writing. So in this fic, playing the song of time backwards will only result in sending you backwards in time seven years. Forwards will send you forwards. Also, you are probably wondering why I made it so that you have to return and leave from the same spot…well, actually, I 'm setting up for future story stuff, that's all.

And what's this? Is there a little tenderness passing between these two heroes? Wasn't Rae falling for Link? Wasn't she? And what about Link? Doesn't he like her back…in some small way? Will Sheik ruin everything?!?

OF COURSE NOT!!! My precious Sheikie would NEVER ruin ANYthing!! (Ganon's evil plans do not count!!)

*OracleVortex*

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	9. Well, well, well

Chapter Nine: Well, well, well…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: Still not mine…

Get ready for the biggest plot change EVER!!! Actually, it's only the second biggest that I'll make, but they both result from the same person—the coolest person!!!

Read on, fellow Zelda – ers!

OH! I've introduced something new!! Sorry to anyone who hates these, but… FLASHBACKS!!! So anything that looks like this: 

******Get ready for the biggest plot change EVER!!!******

That means that it is a flashback. Don't worry…they aren't irrelevant to the plot, and they aren't used incorrectly. 

NOW read on!

WAIT!! NOT YET!! I have another thing to add! Even though I always rate this a PG-13 –er, that is usually for violence and bad, bad language. This time, it's a higher PG-13 –er because of dark themes and blood, and other dark evil stuff…like Link and Sheik suffering…

OK! NOW read on!! {I MEAN it this time!!}

WAIT!!

Ha—Jus' kidding!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The well slowly came into focus, and the blue tint in her vision gradually vanished altogether. She looked in the well, seeing her reflection. It was something that she hadn't seen in years; a pigtailed little Rae wearing smaller version of her clothes. Reaching out with one hand, she gently flicked the image away. Seeing her ten-year old self only brought back memories about her brother that had left her family. On the other hand, her new body was some relief; she hadn't known what would have happened if she went back in time when she wasn't in her own world. 

"Hey! Where did you come from?"

Rae spun and gasped, recognizing the crimson-eyed little boy before her. "Sheik?" Maybe picking the well as her time travelling spot wasn't the brightest of ideas.

His eyes narrowed, and small fists clenched. "How do you know my name?" Only about ten years old, the Sheikah that stood before her wore a blue tunic with the sleeves rolled to the shoulders and dark skin-tight pants. He had light shoes, and the white band on his left arm bore the eye of truth; the symbol of the Sheikahs. "Who are you?"

Rae stepped back, still shocked at the person she was staring at. He'd met her in his past? Was that what he meant when he had said that she'd reminded him of someone? "I'm sorry." Rae said starting to run. 

Sheik cut her off. "Nuh, uh." He said. "How do you know my name?"

Rae jerked away, stumbling to one side. "I, uh…um…my name is Rae!"

"Oh." He stuck his hand out. "Pleased to meet you." Rae shook his hand uncertainly. He grinned at her. "You probably got my name from one of the other kids, hey?"

Rae nodded, thankful for the excuse. 

"Cool." He said. "You wanna play hide and seek?"

Rae gaped at him, thrown off by his child-like manner. It was the total opposite of what she expected Sheik to be as a kid. "Uh, no thanks, I gotta do something." 

"Can I come along?" Sheik said, his crimson eyes shining brightly. "It's really boring around here."

Rae didn't see anyway to refuse him, so she let Sheik tag along. He was a bouncy, nimble and talkative little boy, impressively acrobatic and eager to make you laugh. He was the total opposite of the calm, collected, silent young man that she knew in the future. 

Walking on his hands all the way to the windmill, patiently balancing as Rae played the song of storms, and then doing cartwheels all the way back to the well, Sheik seemed to have an endless amount of energy. 

Sheik perched on the edge of the well, peering into the empty depths. "Why didja do that for?" 

Rae threw one leg over the side. "I'm going down there." She continued on as Sheik opened his mouth in excitement. "And you aren't coming with me."

"Oh, come on!" Sheik cried. "I wanna see what's down there!" He flipped onto his stomach, leaning into the well, headfirst. "I'll be good." He said in a singsong voice.

"No," Was the reply. 

Sheik pouted, taking a tailor's seat on the well's edge. "You're acting like…like a grown-up!"

"That happens sometimes." 

Sheik looked over the edge, watching as Rae disappeared from view. Looking around, he dropped into the well, silently moving down the ladder. 

~*~*~*~

Sheik finally gave into the dark abyss of unconsciousness, letting the wound take over, and the dark whisperings run their course. If he managed to reject all offers in this fever, then he would recover unscathed. Sheik only hoped that Link would be able to do the same.

"Rae…" Was the ragged rasping he heard next. Struggling to rise once more from the tempting euphorbia, Sheik tilted his head to one side to peer over at the speaker. 

Link coughed, his whole body shaking with the effort. The elvish man breathed heavily, fingers groping in the air. "Rae…" 

Sheik's head dropped back onto the pillow. So. He was dreaming of her, seeking her comfort as well. "By the Eye..." He whispered. It seemed like it was going to be a contest for whoever claimed her first. 

Link momentarily choked on a thin garble of speech. Sheik fought an impulse to scratch at the welt across his chest, and felt an evil fire burn under his skin. 

__

On second thought, it may be a contest of whomever survives…

~*~*~*~

Rae let her breath out in a soft whoosh as she stepped onto solid ground at the bottom of the pitch black well. Except for the scare when she had come face-to-face with a mini Sheik, (something that had NEVER happened in the game) she was doing pretty well. She'd played the Song of Storms in the windmill, and to her relief, it worked. Now, crawling in a dank hole in the ground, she felt her flesh creep and her mind scream 'DUMMY' over and over. Maybe she should have waited for Link to get better. The well was really freaky when she was by herself. 

Rae exited through the small opening, shuddering as she felt cobwebs brush against her bare skin. She wasn't wearing her coat anymore; it had been ruined when Link used it to smother the flames on her legs. Rae paused, hearing a rustling sound. It stopped, and Rae stepped forward. 

"Holy--!" Rae screamed as a heavy weight fell on her. She could feel long hairy legs and sharp teeth on her skin. It was a giant Skulltula. Her staff had been knocked away, and the creature sitting atop of her prevented her from reaching for any other weapon. "Dammit!" Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to do this alone…

"By the Eye!" A loud yell sounded in the darkness, accented by the familiar curse of the Sheikah. There was a bright flash of light, and the Skulltula let out a piercing scream as it retreated to the ceiling. 

"Move!" It was Sheik and he was pushing her to the wall on the far side of the room. Rae scrambled, snagging her staff on her way by. Backing up as she neared the wall, Rae let out a short scream as she fell backwards—through the wall. For a moment, she lay there blinking and staring at the place where her legs disappeared into the stones. 

__

Of course…the illusion walls…I forgot…

"You okay?" Rae blinked, staring up into the bright young face bobbing before her. "Uh…Rae, was it?"

She pushed herself to her feet. "I told you not to follow me."

"Geez, a thank-you would be nice." Sheik shrugged. "Besides, you said not to go with you, not to not follow you." 

Rae glared at him. He was impossible! "Well…thank you. Now leave."

"Nuh-uh." The small Sheikah shook his head. "You need me! After all, you were almost done in by a Skulltula." He gave her a red eye to match the green one that was glinting his way. "And you can't make me leave."

Rae sighed, tapping her staff on the ground with a hidden impatience. As young and persistent as the young boy was, Rae had to admit that he had a point. Of course, there was the fact that having him around would chase away her jitters. It didn't matter if he was big or small, Sheik was Sheik and she felt safer with him around. "Fine," She said in a mock-resigned voice, " You can come with me if you want."

His response was to grin and clap her on the shoulder. 

~*~*~*~

Link was dizzy. The room was spinning and he felt like he had fell from a great height. Surprisingly enough, he was lying in the middle of a field, the sky a clear blue above him. 

__

Where am I? Link wondered, sitting up, all traces of his illness gone. _Where's Rae?_

__

She has left you…

Link spun looking for the source of the chilling whisper, yet he was alone in the wide empty field. Instinctively he reached for the Master Sword. To his astonishment, it wasn't there. He also didn't have any of his other weapons and equipment. He was dressed in his Kokiri tunic, something that he had not worn since before he received the Goron's or Zora's tunic.

__

She took your things and left you to die…

"You lie!" Link growled to the unseen assailant. "She would never do that."

__

You did it to her…

"I left her in Anju's care!" For some reason he was very defensive with this invisible enemy.

__

She was dying and you left her…

This time Link didn't answer and he glared out at the seemingly harmless field. "Who are you?"

__

Your conscience…

"Try again."

__

Fine…then I am the voice of doubt…

"Better, but I still don't believe you."

__

You aren't very trusting…good…

"What's that supposed to mean?" There was no answer. "Hello?" Link was once again alone in the field, a light breeze wafting over the tall grass. With nothing to do and without the voice to talk to, Link just stared at the clear blue sky, waiting for whatever was going to happen.

~*~*~*~

Rae twirled her staff in one hand, listening to Sheik fill the apprehensive darkness with an endless stream of words. She sloshed through the murky water of the well, following a walk-of-sorts around a main wall. Thinking back to the game, she kept an eye out for the Triforce symbol, and the source of the water. Sheik was talking about the village again, and how he was taking the Sheikah training. 

"…Of course there's Vallis and Rebaric in training too, but Baezu—he's the head Sheikah when Impa's not around—says that I show a lot of promise. I am pretty good with the healing and stuff, but doing that thing with the Deku nuts still makes me dizzy, and—"

Rae shook her head. One would never know, with the skill that he came and went in the future. Sheik suddenly stopped, one hand hovering in front of Rae.

"Stop…" He said in a hushed voice, listening to the air. He turned and pushed her up against the wall. "If we go any further, we will…fall into shadows…"

"Fall into shadow?" Rae asked.

Sheik almost looked dreamy as he edged her along the wall with one hand. "Yeah…that's what the walls are saying…I can understand them because I'm a Sheikah…you know, one of the shadow…"

Rae nodded, spotting the Triforce symbol on the ground ahead of them. She pulled out the Ocarina of Time. Stepping on the symbol, she pressed it to her lips. Sheik waited and listened patiently, his eyes widening at the notes of the song.

"That song…I think I've heard it before…"

Rae shrugged, pushing down a well of panic._ Crap! He recognises Zelda's Lullaby! But then again, why wouldn't he? It was probably used as a lullaby for him too…_ "Maybe…it's a common lullaby…it's said to soothe the soul…or something…" Okay, so not the best lie, but she found it hard to lie to Sheik., whether he was ten or seventeen. And she had a distinct feeling that he had the ability to see through lies as well as shadows…hence the eyes of truth.

Sheik looked at her for a long moment, crimson irises glimmering. The water was draining in the background, and Rae swore that she could hear her heart doing double time. Is he putting two and two together? Sheik shrugged repeating Rae's earlier motion. 

"So…what's with you and draining the water out of places?" 

~*~*~*~

Link was lying on his stomach in the middle of the field, a pile of grass in front of him. With his left hand he would pull out a handful of grass and pick it apart with his right. With a jerk, Link realized that this was a movement that Rae once used, a long time ago when he was grilling Rae for answers. She had been obviously uncomfortable with the situation and sought for a way to hide it. He didn't think about it then, but now he recalled it with startling clarity. 

__

Is that all you recall about that day?

"What are you talking about?" The entity had been coming and going for the last little while; it didn't startle him anymore. 

__

Don't you remember? Your little faerie friend warned you about her…that she could be working for the enemy…maybe she was right…

"Working for Ganon? I don't re—"

**** **The fabric of Link's hat shifted slightly, and a bright blue ball of dust appeared, hovering above his head.**

"I don't like her." The glowing ball of light said in a bell-like voice. "I don't think that we should trust her."

"I dunno, Navi." Link said, tilting his head to count the stars. "She seems to mean well enough. We could use her help."

"We don't even know her story!" The little faerie cried, bobbing frantically in the air. "She could be working for Gannon!"

"No." Link said in a firm voice. There was a distant look in his eyes, and his mouth curved up at the sides. "No, I don't think that Rae would even consider working for Gannon—by her will or his. I believe that we can trust her."

Navi gave link the faerie equivalent of a shaking head. 

Link sighed. "I'll find out her story in the morning, alright?" Navi snorted, and on that note, Link closed his eyes and went to sleep. ****

Link opened his eyes; once again back in the strange field. The voice was right. Navi _did_ warn him against Rae…but she did that all the time. Where was the faerie, anyway? 

__

She has left you too…

Link moaned. "Oh give it up!"

~*~*~*~

Sheik choked as he was dangled in mid air, legs kicking as he tried to release himself from the grip of a Dead Hand. He dropped to the ground suddenly, as Rae brought her staff down sharply, severing the narrow arm. Sheik threw the shrivelling limb away, and scrambled to his feet. 

"Where did it go?" He asked, glancing about the small room.

"Back underground." Rae replied. "I didn't see where."

A shower of dirt answered their question, and the Dead Hand resurfaced again, bloodstained white shift fluttering in an unseen wind. It's impossibly long neck bent down to bite at them. Sheik jumped on it's back, pushing the head down, and Rae delivered a heavy blow to the neck. Much like how the arms had snapped, the neck did the same, and the Dead Hand flopped to the ground. Its hands twitched and trembled, and then retreated under the dirt. They did not come back up.

A chest appeared; it's illusionary hiding place disappearing with the death of its guardian. The two ten year olds went over to the chest. Sheik pushed open the top, and Rae reached inside. She pulled out a pair of eyeglasses with thin frames and violet-blue lens. 

"This is the lens of truth?" Rae said in disbelief. They were nothing like the game version! 

Sheik nodded at her. "Uh, yeah…what where you expecting?"

Rae shook her head, dismissing the question. "Never mind…let's get out of here."

~*~*~*~

Why is it that you are resisting my power…? I have left my mark on you…

"What are you talking about?" 

__

That injury you have…it will consume you…unless…

"Unless what?"

__

Unless you submit to me….

"I don't think so."

__

You cannot beat it…you are already a part of the darkness, yourself…

"No, I am not!"

__

Remember the Water Temple…you were ruthless…savage…a dark creature….

"I _destroyed_ the dark creature! It killed a whole race!"

__

You don't remember, do you? Twice that day, did you turn to the quick hand of darkness…you are _mine…_

"All right, what _are _you talking about?"

__

Remember…

****" **His other self grinned evilly at him, lips grotesquely pulling back from his teeth. Hands tightly restricting around Link's neck, he pinned him under the water. Without the hood of the tunic up, Link was liable to drown. Link groped blindly in the water, first at the doppelganger's hands, then at his fingers. Losing the energy to fight on, Link let his arms drop limply to his sides. His right hand landed on his quiver, the arrows inside jostling against questing fingers. Link grasped one loosely, using one swift movement to bring it out of the water and into the doppelganger's neck. Link twisted his wrist, weakly seeing the look of horror on his other self's face. The hands at his neck slid loose, and Link bolted out of the water, sputtering and scrambling backwards. The doppelganger clutched his neck, thick black blood dripping between his fingers. The image that he projected wavered and fell and the creature died. It collapsed to the ground, curling up in a dark ball that sank under the surface of the water. ******

Link started at the image that flashed before his eyes. He had almost forgotten that. It seemed so trivial at the time; he had to kill the creature before it killed him. Now, it seemed…cruel and vicious.

****** It's not working Link!" Navi yelled. "Try something else!"**

With a fierce hiss, Link, unable to think of anything else, thrust his hand into the watery being. It shrieked, suddenly throwing droplets everywhere. The rainbow – colored creature wriggled in Link's fierce grasp, a low whining issuing from a non-existent mouth. Link's eyes narrowed to thin slits, and he wrenched his hand out of the floating stream of water. Pulling out an arrow, Link shoved the arrowhead through the centre of the creature's body. With a pitiful squeal the creature wriggled in Link's iron grip and died. Link let the creature drop to the ground. The water that had been controlled by the beast had splashed onto the floor. A blue warp aura appeared, and Link walked over to it, an almost absent expression on his face. "Coming Navi?" ****

Link gasped this time, as he came out of the memory-state. The thing was right. He _had_ been quick to a sadistic action. It was…appalling… 

__

Now you're starting to understand, aren't you? You can't resist the call of darkness when you have already accepted it…you have no choice anymore… you are already mine…

"No…" Link kneeled in the field, hands limp in his lap. He stared at the dark crimson spots appearing on his palms. It bubbled up like a well, and slowly dripped into the green grass around him. The plants withered away at the liquid. 

__

You are mine…tainted creature…

~*~*~*~

Sheik grinned at her as they stood beside the well. He scratched a picture into the stones of the structure, and revealed it for Rae to see. It was an eye of truth in-between two other symbols. He pointed at each one before explaining it. "This is an 'S' for me, a 'R' for you, and the Eye for where we met. You know…Kakariko Village? Clever, huh?" 

Rae smiled lightly. "Cute." 

Sheik beamed at her. "Now we can be friends for ever and ever!" He clapped a hand to her shoulder. "You know, it's kinda funny how I've never seen you around the village. I would of thought that someone as fun as you would already be my friend." He frowned momentarily. "But then again, I'm gone half the time, training with the Sheikah, so…" He shrugged. "Oh well. Say…I'm hungry…you want to go to Anju's for lunch?"

"Uh, I have to go…" She was about to say 'home', but the word stuck in her throat. 

"Come on!" Sheik shot her a inviting smile. "Anju won't mind!" 

"Sorry." Rae said regretfully. "I really have to go back."

"Back where?" Sheik asked. "You live in the village, right? As long as you don't cause trouble, you get free reign around here." Again he showed a quick frown. "Of course, there is a curfew…" He shrugged once more. "But that doesn't count."

Rae shook her head. As charming as he was, it was starting to look like she was going to have to lie to him… Or maybe, just tell the truth… "I have to go back to the future."

The young Sheikah snorted. "Right…"

"No, I'm telling the truth! I am from the future, where I need the lens of truth!" Rae insisted. "And I can prove it!"

"How?" Sheik crossed his arms and leaned against the well, one eyebrow raised. 

Rae shrugged, and pulled out the Ocarina of Time. Putting it to her lips, she played the Song of Time – forwards. As the shimmering light drew up around her, Sheik's eyes widened, and he reached out one hand to her. 

"You…you can't be telling the truth!" 

Rae shrugged, twirling her staff in one hand as she held Sheik's gaze. "Yet I am." The last thing she saw was his incredulous face peering at her, amidst a cloud of blue light. 

~*~*~*~

Anju crept into the attic room that currently served as a sickroom. The creaking of the floor above her room woke her up. Normally she wouldn't have worried about this occurrence, except for the fact that both of her patients were bed-ridden and in no condition to walk or move around. She stood absolutely still, curiously watching the huddled shadow as it rummaged through Link's things. A blue glow was close by, illuminating the person's work. She didn't panic, because she could recognize the voices of the two subjects talking. 

"Go away Navi!"

"Where have you been?! And why are you snooping through Link's things?!"

"Buzz off, firefly! I need some stuff to enter the Shadow Temple!"

"You're going WHERE?!"

"Shut up!" Rae hissed. "Do you want to wake up the whole village?"

"You can't go in there by yourself! You'll get killed!"

"And I'm not taking Link with me! With the shadow wound that he has, he would be eaten alive!"

"Then w-"

"No time to wait! We're talking about a shadow monster, here! This isn't the same as the creatures and bad guys from other temples! The Shadow Beast will feed off of darkness and hate and will rise to consume the world! This has to be done now!"

"FINE! But I'm going with you!"

"You? Why?"

"Link would kill me if he woke up and found out that you were dead. Besides, you're too clumsy to go into a temple by yourself. You wouldn't know what to do."

"Fine…sheesh."

Anju smiled, backing out of the room ever so quietly. It didn't warm her heart to know that Rae was going off to fight the shadows, but if she had Navi with her… then that would provide some comfort to the young woman's mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHAT'S THIS?!?!? NAVI AND RAE ARE TEAMING UP?!! WILLINGLY?!?!

Navi: Well, yeah…you thought of it…

Rae: Yeah…

Me: Oh pish posh…the announcement was for effect and suspense, people!

Navi/Rae: Ohhhhhh…

See ya next chapter…

OracleVortex

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(PS) I have a new Zelda fic posted called Fighter of the Forest…feel free to check it out…please? I need to know if it's worth continuing or not. I really don't care if ya just add your two cents or whatnot.

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	10. The Temple of Shadows

Chapter Ten: Temple of Shadows

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Let us recap recent events! Rae went back into the past and met up with a littler Sheik. Then she fought for the lens of truth, which was really a pair of magic-ed sunglasses. Then she went off to the Shadow temple while Link and Sheik fought against the influences of their shadow wounds. Link met up with the shadow creature and fell under his influence…

ANYway…I don't own Zelda or anything related, blah, blah, blah…

And this chapter is dedicated to hellcat805 for being super patient and not yelling when I didn't update fast enough. And to kizna1200… who are you?? I neeeeed to knowwwww!

A-hem… Thanx for caring! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hey…the door is closed." 

Rae nodded absently, strangely tranquil, despite the trial that she was about to face. Reaching into pocket, she pulled out the jewel that she had pilfered from Link's bag. 

"HEY! Where did you get that?" Navi buzzed around Rae's head.

"I'm borrowing it. How does it work?" Rae knew, of course, but it seemed a bit silly to slam the jewel to the ground and yell.

"You mean that you don't know?" Navi said smugly. "Well, it's sure a good thing that I came along after all, hey?"

Rae rolled her eyes and stepped onto the carved stone platform. "Yeah, yeah…are you going to tell me or not?" Was it just her, or did Navi say 'hey' a lot?

"I guess I'd better, hey?" Navi puffed herself up importantly. "Just hold it out before you and summon your power."

Rae stared at her. "My…power?"

"Yeah…go on!"

Rae switched her staring to the jewel in her hand. Oh, how she hated these little changes between the game and the reality… "Um…"

"You do have power, don't you?"

"Of course!" Rae said indignantly. "Just gimmie a sec." Frowning, she held the jewel out at arms length, silently willing it to work. 

"Well?!"

"Keep yer dust on!!" Brows knitting together, Rae sent an unspoken plea to the Goddess, Din. _Please, just this one time, let me use this without having to visit a Great Faerie first…please Din…everything may ride on this…_

With a sudden flare, the red jewel blazed and sent out a ring of fire. Navi squeaked and fluttered above the wave, and Rae staggered back with the sudden intensity of it all. 

"Hey, warn someone when you're going to do that!!!!" Navi yelled at her. 

"Shut up." Rae said vaguely. _Whoa…uh, thanks…Din…_ Maybe there _were_ Goddesses. 

The sound of crackling fire echoed in the room as all the torches were lit at the same time. A loud grinding filled the air as the heavy stone doors folded in to reveal a darkened passageway. Faerie and Canadian walked through the foreboding entrance, oddly silent. 

Even though she had gotten over the surprise that came with finding some difference between the game and the reality, nothing prepared her for what she found at the end of the darkened passageway. It was a living room of her world-complete with furniture and pictures. Navi buzzed around the TV set, ogling at her reflection in the rounded surface. 

"What is this? Where are we?" 

Rae stood quietly, her eyes gliding over the room. "This…this is my house…my home…I'm back home…"

Maybe it was because her eyes were watering, but her view of the room seemed to be a bit hazy. Rae, on an impulse, turned to glance back down the passage. As she suspected, it wasn't there, but for some strange reason, she wasn't alarmed. Navi noticed the same thing and started to panic. 

"What are we going to do?!" She paced in the air. "What are we going to DO???"

"Shut up Navi." Rae murmured, running a hand over the cotton fabric of a blanket. She pulled it off the rocking chair and felt it between her fingers. It was the blanket that her brother had always liked. It was a dark navy blue with a mysterious violet swirl on one of the corners. When she held it in her grasp, she felt a wash of memories flow over her, threatening to drown her. 

* Ping * Navi bounced in front of Rae, curiously watching her. "What are you doing?"

Rae blinked, tossing the coverlet to one side with a careful indifference. "I need to think."

"Don't strain yourself." For once, there was no pert reply to the faerie's bantering. 

~*~*~*~

Sheik strummed the strings of his harp thoughtfully, willing the queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach to settle down. He sat in a field, underneath a large oak tree, but he ignored his surroundings. He felt no warmth from the sun, cool refreshment from the breeze, or the whispering of the grass. The only whispering he heard was in the illusion of the scenery, in the illusion of everything around him. The overwhelming stench of it all make him sick. 

__

You cannot keep this up forever, Sheikah… A taunting little voice said, drifting from out of nowhere. _You will submit to me…_

"I have the strength to resist you forever, creature." Sheik replied evenly. A feeling of anger rose in him, but he let the emotion wash over him, accepting it instead of letting it have power. 

__

You will be mine…I will have all_ of the Sheikah…_

The harp twanged painfully, as Sheik's fingers pulled too hard on one of the strings. He had to calm down…he would do Impa no good if he let the shadows take hold of him. "I will fight you till the last breath leaves my body."

__

Then you will be mine anyway…

Sheik scoffed. Suddenly there was a rush of wind, and Sheik was forced to drop his harp. Clutching his shoulder, Sheik abruptly felt the burning sting of the shadow wound. It had disappeared as soon as he entered the realm, but now it was back and stronger than ever. "No…"

__

You cannot resist the shadows…

~*~*~*~

Rae started as she heard footsteps behind her. Spinning, she saw someone that made her drop the blanket. It was her brother. It was Francis. Navi tried to speak a warning, but something made her suddenly blip away.

Francis was tall and thin, dark auburn hair wavy and framing his face. Glittering eyes stared lovingly at Rae, their color as green as her own. He wore a simple black shirt, and dark denim jeans. He was just like she remembered him.

"Rae…" He held out his arms to her. She hesitated for only a second, rushing into the embrace with tears in her eyes. 

"Francis…you've been gone so long…"Rae spoke into his shoulder, her words muffled. She breathed in and smelled the scent of cinnamon…his signature smell.

"I had to leave for a little while." He replied. "But now I'm back…and you can come with me…we can be brother and sister again…"

Rae melted into the embrace. It had been so long since she had seen her brother. He had been like a best friend to her. "Why did you leave?" 

"Don't think about that now…I'm back to stay…"

Rae frowned, through blurry vision. There was something a bit off. Come to think of it…He was the exact same as the last time she had seen him…seven…years ago… Rae pulled back a little.

"What's wrong, sis?" His eyes glimmered, yes, but not with life…with something else…

Reaching up, Rae slowly put the lens of truth on. As the shimmering blue-red lenses dipped over her eyes, her brother's kind face disappeared. In its place was a shadowy being. "You aren't Francis."

"No…" The creature agreed. "I'm not." He reached for Rae. She struggled to breathe, as black darkness filled her mouth and nose. Rae kicked and pushed, and tried to get away. She could still feel the false arms of her brother around her, and it made her remember something. She was resisting the shadows…she was fighting against them… What was it that Sheik had said to her? 

**** "**The Sheikah are the people of the shadows. This does not mean that we _serve _the darkness; it means that we are light that _lives_ in the darkness. We do not cast away all shadow, for it lives in each of us. Instead, we strive to accept it and learn to recognize it so that we aren't tainted by it."******

__

Accept it and learn to recognize it so we aren't tainted by it… Rae's eyes blinked open. _It lives in each of us…_ That was it! That was the solution…

Letting her limbs go limp, Rae stopped struggling against the creature. It laughed and set her down on the ground, peering at her.

__

Finally…you accept your fate, little one…you are mine…

"No…" Rae said hollowly, looking into the depths of the shadow beast. She took off the lens of truth. "You're mine."

__

What? Francis' image was no longer there; it was only a dark figure.

"You are a part of me." Rae repeated. "You are the dark to my light, the evil to my good. You are a part of me." She tilted her head sidewards. "You are what keeps me in balance. I need you." She held her arms out. "_You_ are mine."

The shadow beast suddenly seemed to freeze. There was a great sucking sound, and wisps of the creature melted away. In moments, only a faint outline of a young woman was seen, standing in front of Rae. From out of the disappearing darkness, Navi and Impa appeared.

Rae reached one hand out to her shadowy double. "You're mine. You're me." The shade nodded, reaching a hand out to her in an identical motion. Their fingers meshed together and the shadow was absorbed into Rae.

__

Good job little one…you understand the shadows…now you can see with the eyes of truth…

There was a dark flash of light, and Rae covered her eyes with one hand. 

"Are you all right, child?" Impa had come to her side, having recovered slightly from her capture. Rae nodded, looking up at the Sage. Impa gasped lightly, and touched one hand to Rae's cheek. "Your eyes…"

"What?"

Impa pulled a small signal mirror out of her pocket. Looking into it, Rae saw that her eyes had changed its color. Instead of being completely green, it was now a swirled crimson-emerald. As she shifted her head, the light changed the color from one to another. She had the eyes of truth. Well…sort of.

Rae took a moment to notice her surroundings. They were now all standing in a completely non-script dome shaped room, colored a dull silver-black. 

Impa watched the girl for a moment. "When I saw you sick and dying, I didn't think that you would be one to overcome the shadows. To me, it is obvious that you do not belong to this world, but I am grateful that you have come in this dire time of need. Soon you will meet the princess face to face, and it is then when you will banish Ganon from this land." Impa shifted her gaze. "You, along with the Hero of Time, will go to the princess and protect her on my behalf. I must stay here as the Sage of the Temple." She turned back to Rae. "Although you have refreshed my memory in the ways of the shadows." Rae blushed; after all, it had been an inspiration from Sheik's words that did it. Impa dipped a hand into her pocket. Taking out a small medallion, she handed it to Rae. "Go to your friends. Tell them how to see the shadows. Make them understand."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank-you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yeah, so didn't see THAT coming, eh? There's a little piece on the next chapter that will explain a few things, so if you didn't understand parts of the ending, that's okay.

Thank you so much for being so patient with me!! I just was stuck on how exactly to write this chapter, that I pursued other fics! Thanks for waiting, and I will try to get the next chapter out super fast!

OH! If there are any Harry Potter fans out there, please check out my HP story I just started; Don't Hold Back. I think that it's really good. It's my first attempt at a romance; so don't be surprised if it's a little stiff. 

Oh well. 

OracleVortex

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	11. Delving in the Dark

Chapter Eleven: Delving in the Dark 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Disclaimer: I don't. Own Zelda, that is. 

OH!! I almost forgot! A friend of mine on FF.net writes anime, and she's really good! Now, no one has really checked out her stuff! It makes me wanna cry, cuz she's my buddie! If you're interested, and you betta be, then go and find Chibi Planeteria. Thanx!!! 

Onwards to the story!! 

This chapter is dedicated to Kat Reverie who is a loyal reader who checks out all my stuff and keeps on reviewing for me. Thank you so much! (Work on your next chapter, please!) Be sure to go and read what she has posted on FF.net as well. She's another great authoress! 

Okay_, now_ onwards to the story!! OH! Wait, italics in this chapter will mean that Rae is in the delusions. Single apostrophe means thoughts. This only applies to this chapter, though. ONLY THIS CHAPTER. 

Read on! Hurry, before I think of anything else to add!! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Anju watched nervously as Rae stood over Link's bed. The girl had returned only moments ago, after being gone for a couple hours. She held a small violet disc in one palm, and wore a slightly melancholy look on her face. The thing that disturbed Anju the most was the strange scarlet sheen that was over the girl's eyes. It was chillingly like that of a Sheikah's eyes. Creepy. 

"What are you doing?" Anju asked. 

"I don't know." Was the even reply. Rae leaned forward momentarily and rested one palm on Link's forehead. He was sweating bullets, but he did not move. Rae sighed. "Anjuwhatever happens, just don't be alarmed, alright?" 

"Oh" Anju stepped back. _Now_ what was going on? She must be left out on almost everything... 

Rae closed her eyes, one hand still on Link's forehead. Anju waitedand waitedand waited. "Uh, Rae?" There was no reply. Upon closer inspection, Anju realized that the girl appeared to be asleep. "Rae?" 

Yesdefinitely asleep. 

~*~*~*~ 

~ 

_Rae gasped, gagging as she came into a field of a rotting wasteland. An ugly withering tree was still standing, shrivelled and dying. Where was Link? What was he doing in such an awful place? "Link?"_

__

_**He is mine**_

_****_

_Rae spun, looking for the creature. As an after thought, she flicked on the lens of truth. The awful scenery vanished to be replaced by a dark abyss. She was standing on nothing, breathing nothing, surrounded by nothing. "Where's Link?"_

__

_**He has drawn even deeper into the darknesshe has given himself to me**_

_****_

_"You must have said something to him!"_

__

_**Of course I didbut he believed me **_

_****_

_Rae growled in frustration, staring out into the darkness. 'Look for the truth...through the shadows' A light suddenly appeared in her vision, and Rae turned to see Link, a curled up in a small little ball. She ran to him. "Link!" She knelt at his side. "Link! It's Rae-look at me."_

__

_The Hylian slowly turned his head to her. "Rae? Why are you here?" He pushed her away with one arm. "I'm a dark thingdon't stay here."_

__

_"No, Link, you are not."_

__

_"But he-"_

__

_Rae shook her head. "Noyou just interpreted it wrong." She took the young man by the shoulders. "The darkness is a part of you."_

__

_"That's practically the same thing."_

__

_"No, it's not!" Rae insisted. "Listen to me, Link! We all have our good sides and our bad sides. You need the darkness inside of you! You need it in order to exist, to stay sane!" She shook him lightly. "Don't let it overpower you! Don't resist! Accept it as part of yourself."_

__

_Link blinked lazily. "A partno." He curled away from her. "No"_

__

_"Blast it all!" Rae flipped Link over. "You have to understand me! Accept that there is darkness in you!"_

__

_"No"_

__

_Rae shook her head. "Yes! You need a dark side! It keeps you in balance! It's what enables you to fight! To kill!"_

__

_"Too much killing"_

__

_"Link, you have never killed an innocent." Rae gentled her voice and motions. Urgency was not going to get through to the Hylian. "Every life that you have taken, you take in order to restore peace to the world. You cleanse your soul and even out the pain with the numbers of lives you save. Accept it!"_

__

_Link pushed her away. "No"_

__

_She growled. The stubborn git. "Link." She said softly. "I would never steer you wrong. Never." There was no response, and she continued. "Just-just trust me. Just trust me Link, believe."_

__

_Link made no motion to believe her. _

__

_**You see? He has given into mehe is mine!**_

****__

_"No" Link murmured again. "Itrust you" There was a flash of light, and Rae felt herself thrown out of the delusion_. 

~ 

Back in her real body, she rocked backwards on her heels. Anju was at her side in a moment. "Are you alright? What happened?" Her light hazel eyes glowed in worry. 

Rae gasped, one hand drifting to her chest. She suddenly had trouble breathing, and she felt slightly light-headed. Link groaned and shifted on the bed. Anju checked on him. 

"He's waking up." She reported in amazement. "What did you just do?' 

Rae shook her head, taking in a gulp of air. What was this? A side effect? She staggered to Sheik's bedside. The Sheikah was drawing in air through gritted teeth, much like she was. Pale strands of golden locks were slicked back by sweat, and a thin purple line was winding its way up his jaw. Rae ran a finger along the mark, and he shivered. There was no time left, she knew. She had to help him. Now. 

She placed a hand on his forehead and concentrated on the violet disc in her hand. It was harder this time, trying to get through to Sheik's mind. He was trained in mental defences; she had to push to get in. 

~ 

_She was in that same strange field again. This time, everything was a golden, perfect paradise. Rae was almost tempted to sit and enjoy it. Almost. There was somethingartificial about it. It was too perfect. _

__

_"Sheik?" She called, despite its ineffectiveness the previous time. _

__

_"R...Ra" A weak warble sounded in her ears._

__

_Rae spun, looking at the tree. At its base, there was a dark figure, almost completely shrouded in shadow. It was strange, considering that the field was alight with the sun. She rushed over to it. "Sheik?"_

__

_An empty face looked up at her. Looking into lifeless eyes, Rae shuddered and flicked on the Lens of Truth. Her surroundings suddenly flipped, and Sheik was a blazing light in the midst of a murky universe. Vivid crimson eyes gazed up at her, and all she could see was painand want. _

__

_"Sheik, you have to come back with me." She said._

__

_He shook his head. "No. The shadow beasthe will not let me go" He pushed at her with one hand, the touch lingering. "Leave this placedo not let it consume you too"_

__

_Rae sighed. "Stop fighting against it, Sheik."_

__

_He gazed at her with sorrowful eyes. "How can you ask me to do such a thing? I will not concede to the creature!"_

__

_Rae rested one hand on the young man's shoulder. He winced slightly, and she drew away. Even here, in the shadow's realm, he bore the dark violet mark. "Do you remember when I asked you about you and your sister, and you explained to me the Sheikah?"_

__

_"Yes." The reply was so faint, that she had to lean in to hear him._

__

_"You said that the shadow lives in each of us. That we have to accept it. That we do not let it control us. What are you doing?"_

__

_Sheik closed his eyes for a long time, and she felt a well of fear open in her heart. "Sheik?" Why was he so still? "Sheik!"_

__

_**He is the last of the Sheikah! You took the woman away from me! I will not let you have him!**_

__

_Rae was sent flying backwards at the force of the voice. The shadow beast had been slack in letting her rescue people, but he wanted Sheik for his own. "NO! You cannot have him!" _

__

_**He WILL be mine! Leave this place!**_

__

_"NO!" Rae stood against the mental force of the attack, bracing herself on a ground of nothingness. "It is his choice! Not yours!"_

_****_

_**He chose his path a long while agoyou are already too late LEAVE!**_

__

_Rae shook her head, yelling in Sheik's direction. "Dammit all, Sheik! Accept the darkness as your own! I didn't drag my ass in here just to lose you!" _

__

_At her voice, he opened his eyes again and smiled. "You never cease to amaze me." He stood, pain gone from his person. "Thank you."_

__

_**NO!**_

****~ 

Rae's head snapped back as the hallucination flung her out of Sheik's mind. They gasped in unison, and Rae collapsed on the bed. Anju was helping her sit in a chair as she sucked in a ragged breath. She clutched at the collar of her shirt and struggled to take in oxygen. On the bed, Sheik was doing the same. It was another few minutes before they could even talk. 

"'Your eyes" He whispered, one hand rising. "You have seenthe truth" His voice was filled with pride, something that Rae had not expected from him. She nodded. He then noticed the spectacles resting on the top of her head. "The Lens of Truth" 

"Do you remember?" She asked him abruptly. "All those years ago?" 

Sheik's eyes widened, realisation dawning on him. "Yesnow I know why you were so familiar" He chuckled lightly. "To think that I could forget you" He gave an impish, half-grin. "The clumsy little girl that you were." 

"Hey!" Rae protested. "You weren't all that nimble yourself, Mr. Almost-choked-by-a-dead-hand." 

"I was ten!" 

They laughed lightly. For now it was all better. Everything was fine. 

They didn't think of what was yet to come. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Dear gods, did any of you actually think that I was going to kill off Sheik?????? He's only my FAVORITE character!!!! Geez. 

Sheik: You had me worried there for a minute 

Me: Sorry about that. *Hugs him* 

Sheik: ^____^ 

Yup, just a short little thing that I felt like making into it's own chap. Sorrydarkness and shadow is just so fun to write. Next chapter will be getting back to the 'save the land' thing. I promise. I just needed to go and save the two heroesand add a little Sheik scene. That's all. 

OOH! I have decided to hold a **MINI CONTEST**! You see, I want to find out if you readers out there are as clever at making connections as you are at being faithful reviewers! 

Ever since Sheik and Rae first met, Sheik had a sneaky suspicion that he knew her from somewhere. There is one particular thing that I put in the story that would make sure that he would think he knew her from his past. Can you locate the one thing that might have set his memory off? If you do, then I will give you a **personal appearance** in one of my next chapters. If you are a girl, then you will be a Gerudo. If you are a guy, then I will make you a buff carpenter or something. If the latter of the two happens, don't worry. Your description will be a whole lot more better than the dudes in the game. Gods, they were ugly! 

Let's see if you can find it! I will have this contest open for **ONE WEEK**!! After Tuesday, November 26, I will no longer take answerseven if they are right. Sorry. 

OracleVortex 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	12. Sand, Booze, and Babes

Chapter Twelve: Sand, Booze and Babes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: I think that we all know what I am going to write here, so I'm not going to write it this time.

Congrats to all the winners of my contest!  All were sharp enough to figure out the connection between Sheik's past and present! They will be featured as Gerudo women through out the next two chapters, along with all those who guessed. I have decided not to leave anyone out. I need the Gerudos. Thanx to all who guessed and tried! (Where were all the guys?? I wanted to make sexy carpenters out of them!! Lol!!)

Onward!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rae closed her eyes for a moment, revelling in the speed and thrill of riding a horse a full gallop. To her left, Link was riding on Epona, his golden blonde hair fluttering freely in the breeze. The pounding of the horse hooves echoed in the valley, startling the birds from their nests. Reigning in as they came to a narrow plank that served as a bridge, Rae arrived on the other side when Link had come to a full stop. 

"What's wrong?" She came to a stop beside Link. 

Link shook his head at the bridge in front of them. Or, rather, were the bridge used to be. Now there was only a large gap and a long drop into the river below. "We'll have to jump it."

"Jump it?!" Rae exclaimed, her hands tightening on Carina's reigns. "_Please_ tell me that you're kidding me!!"

Link didn't say anything as he circled and went back a few good meters. He turned Epona and faced the broken bridge. 

Rae gaped at him. "Link, you can't be serious! I've only jumped over short little fences, let alone a huge pitfall like that!" Her red-glazed eyes filled with panic. "Link, I will not jump that!" 

The hero of time spurred Epona into a sudden gallop, thundering to the breach. Rae gawked at him as he drew closer, and was surprised when he yanked her out of the saddle on his way by. She yelped, landing hard in the saddle behind Link. She threw her arms around his midsection and closed her eyes as Epona suddenly lurched forward. They were suspended in mid-air for a moment, and Rae's heart nearly stopped as they landed on the other side of the valley. Link skidded to a stop, and Rae almost immediately jumped off of Epona. 

"Bloody hell, Link!" She cried, trembling in rage. "What the fuck was that?" He slid out of the saddle, only to be confronted by a furious Rae. She pushed at his shoulder, and waved her hands in the air. "Snatching me out of the saddle? At full gallop? Going over a ravine? WHAT THE HELL???"

Link stepped back, blinking. "Sorry—I didn't think that—"

"That what?" Rae demanded. "What, Link? Whatever possessed you??"

He stared at her, his resolve crumpling. "I didn't mean—I'm sorry." He hung his head. "I wasn't---I thought…" His voice stuttered to a stop, cheeks flushing hotly.  

Rae looked at him, inner fire dimming. _Damn him…he seems so innocent…_ She sighed, lightly touching his shoulder as she walked by him. There was a tent a few paces away. "Forget it. Let's see if anyone's home."

Link followed her meekly, suddenly toned down from the intense mood of a few minutes ago. They tapped on the tent flap that hung half open. "Hello?" Rae called.

"A visitor? Oh, do come in!" A warm voice beckoned them to enter. Rae and Link stepped inside, greeted with the warm glow of a fire, and the sight of cozy red/gold décor. "It's not everyday that I have the chance to have guests!"

"Not with the bridge being broken…" Rae quipped, bowing slightly to the man sitting on the rugs at the far end of the tent. 

He scowled. "Ah. Yes, I guess that would be the reason." He puffed deeply on a lit pipe. "If my sons, were around, then I would be able to fix that…" 

"Your sons?" Link asked. 

He nodded. "All four of them decided that life as a carpenter was too hard, so they packed up and headed for the Gerudo's Fortress." He scoffed. "I, Mutoh, have never regretted that I took up my father's trade and kept the family business going. Never!" He pushed his chest out proudly. "But I do need my sons to help me…" He said thoughtfully.

Rae approached the man. "Do you need someone to go and find your sons for you?"

Mutoh shot her a strange look, a gleam appearing in his eye. "If such a person who would want to wander into the Fortress of the Thieves stood before me, perhaps…."

~*~*~*~

Link pulled Rae into a narrow notch in the wall, and they pressed together tightly as the Gerudo Guard passed by on her watch. For some strange reason, Rae had signed them on to go and rescue Mutoh's four sons. The reason why, was beyond him, but Link knew that she must have had a reason. This may have been a task that was detailed in her visions, he supposed.

To their misfortune, another guard intercepted the first, just outside of their hideaway, and they both stopped to talk for a while. At first, it was merely uncomfortable for Link, but it increasingly grew worse as he became more aware of all the places where he was in contact with Rae. Her hands were solid on his chest, the top of her head tucking neatly under his chin. Their bodies were pressed to one another, and the bare flesh of her arms seemed to scorch him, even through the sleeves of his shirt. 

_What is the matter with me? _Link wondered as they escaped a long ten minutes later. _ Why do I suddenly feel this way?_ He glanced over to Rae, who was peering around another corner, her staff held behind her back.  With the narrow weapon, she beckoned for him to follow her. He did, eyes half on the lookout and half on the young woman. She still wasn't completely at peace with him, after what had happened at the ravine. He couldn't blame her, however. What he did…

**_Whatever possessed you?_**

Link sighed quietly, edging down one side of the vine wall. What possessed him? He didn't know. All he knew was that when Rae had come to save him from the Shadow Beast in Kakariko, she was glowing with a light that was so pure and concentrated that he had thought that he was looking at one of the Goddesses. Then he realized who it was and knew that he had seen her soul. When Link woke up, and saw that she was laughing and joking around with Sheik, he felt a hot lava boil within him. He carried that with him to the Valley, and was rash and wild. He didn't mean to scare Rae. He just wanted to…well, prove something. He didn't know what, though. Just something.

Link and Rae came to a large room, lit brightly by torches on all the walls. A barred cell was on the right side, a large padlock clearly visible. 

"Hey! You there! Can you help us?" 

The two heroes went to the bars of the cage. Inside, half hidden in the shadows, were four men. The one who had called to them appeared to be the eldest, being the only one without a beard. The two dressed in deep velvet green were twins; identical faces peered back at Rae and Link. The last was the youngest, smaller and thinner than the other three, but just as well built. They were all dressed in simple clothing, wearing blue vests over colored shorts.

"Are you the sons of Mutoh the Carpenter?" Link asked quietly. Rae watched the doors for any sign of guards.

The one who was doing all the talking nodded eagerly. "Yes! I am Ichiro, eldest of my brothers. We all came to the Fortress in order to join up with the thieves here. We didn't want to be carpenters anymore."

One of the twins spoke up. "I, Shiro, and Jiro," he indicated his twin, "Heard that the Gerudos were all women." He grinned at Link, winking. "We wanted to be the only men here…"

Rae, listening, snorted.

The last of the carpenter brothers spoke. "Sabooro is my name. I didn't want to join, but I didn't want to be left behind either." He looked slightly embarrassed. "It's actually my fault that we were caught in the first place…"

Jiro shook his head, placing a hand on his younger sibling's shoulder. "They are professionals. They would have found us anyway."

Ichiro nodded in agreement. "Yes…I assume you were sent to rescue us?"

Link nodded. "Your father asked us to watch out for you. Do you know where the keys to the cell are?" The four men shook their heads. 

"Link!" Rae said suddenly, one hand tugging on his shirtsleeve. 

"What?" He turned. In the room, two Gerudo women were standing casually, double swords crossed in front of them.  One wore pale green, while the other donned faded tan. They didn't wear the normal garb of the guards. 

The one in green broke the icy silence. "If you want to free these…men…" She said the words like it was a dirty swear. "…Then you must fight us first."

Link pulled the Master sword out of it's sheath, lifting his shield onto his right arm. Rae, already at attention, shifted her grip on her staff. Separating, Link circled the one in green, while Rae went after the one in tan. In perfect unison, the two Gerudos leapt forward, swords glinting in the torchlight. Link parried with his sword, but lost a lock of hair as the second sword came slicing past his head. Green smiled devilishly, her eyes flashing. 

"Do not play games with us, man." She said threateningly. "We will not be taken lightly. She struck forward again, trying the same move as last time, but Link wasn't about to fall for it twice. 

Rae, meanwhile, was facing Tan, armed with only a two-inch-thick pole. Tan swiped at her doubly, hissing in frustration as Rae dodged nimbly. In a last ditch attempt to keep her head on her shoulders, Rae slid under one of her opponent's arms and struck Tan's elbow as she came back up. One of the two swords fell from her hand, and Rae snatched it up and away. To try and use it herself would be foolhardy. Tan glared venomously at her, engaging a blurry slice that cut cleanly through Rae's pole. Rae's eyes widened, and she tossed the pieces aside, regret filling her. As Tan leapt forward again, Rae fell back, ducking under the sword thrust and tangling herself in Tan's legs. Tan lost hold of the other sword, and it skittered across the floor.

"Enough!" A voice commanded. Another Gerudo had entered the room. She wore much of the same garb that Tan and Green were wearing, except that she also bore gold ornamental gauntlets and anklets as well. Her long red hair was swept up into a jewel holder, and dark eyes watched out of a slender face.

Link backed away from where he had Green cowering in a corner, trapped by both of her own blades. Rae and Tan untangled themselves from where they had sprawled on the floor, trying to get the other in a headlock. The two Gerudo fighters gathered their weapons and went to stand before the newcomer. 

"Allyx…"

"…Please, they were…"

"…Trying to free…"

"…The prisoners."

The other woman held up a hand, effectively silencing the two advanced guards. "Leave us." Tan and Green bowed and backed away, meek expressions on their faces. "As for you two…why are you here?"

Rae spoke before Link could. "We came to talk to Nabooru. On our way, a carpenter asked us to rescue his sons." 

Link stared at her. Nabooru? Wasn't she a Gerudo Priestess? Second in command to Ganon? Why would they need to see her?  __

Rae went on. "We have heard about the guild of the Gerudo Thieves. Rescuing the sons was just killing two birds with one stone. We wish to join you."

"But he is a man."

"He still bested what, if I am not mistaken, is one of your most skilled fighters."

Allyx smiled faintly, hands resting on her hips. "Fine. If you wish to prove yourself worthy of Gerudo Thieves membership, then go to the Training Grounds. If you are able to bring back the jewel of the dessert, than you will both be accepted as our own." 

~*~*~*~

Link and Rae stepped into the training grounds, wary of what they were about to come face-to-face with. A cloaked woman met them there, her face and body hidden in the mass of the garment. 

"I am Crys, the master trainer of the Gerudo. None leave here unless I see that they are fit to." The hooded head tilted upwards. "However, Allyx has given me specific orders as to what you are to do in order to pass approval." She indicated to two doors framed my massive lion's heads. The jaws were open, as if you were to walk into the belly of the beast. "One will go one way, and one the other. To get to the end, you must help one another."

Rae and Link shared a glance. They waited a moment, trying to determine whether or not Crys was finished. When it was clear that the woman would say no more, they separated and entered the doors. 

Rae looked around. The room was empty. There was a door on the opposite end, but that was it. _This is way too easy…_ She stepped forward. There was a loud creak, and the ceiling above began to descend. 

"Rae! What's going on?" Link's voice was heard through the thin walls. 

"The ceiling is falling in on me!"

"Is there a switch?"

"There's nothing!" 

Link sighed inwardly. What had Rae gotten them into now? He looked around the room he was in. There was a row of signs on the opposite wall, each baring different messages. He read the first one.

**Going back is easier than forward, but not when you must reach the hidden treasure hoard.**

Then the second. **When the sky does fall, and the end is near, to the other, the solution will appear. **

Then the third. **Trade your fates; find a key, and then forward to the drowsy sea. **

Link blinked. What in Farore's name was that supposed to mean? The first was obvious, but the other two…

"Link!!"

Link squinted, aimlessly glancing about the room. Above the door that he had come in through, a small circle was imprinted in the wall. He went over to it and gently pushed it in. The grinding of the ceiling in the next room stopped.

"Rae?"

"It stopped! What did you do?" 

Link opened his mouth to explain, but the same sound started up again. This time, it was overhead. His ceiling was falling instead. 

"Link?"

"You need to find a key! _My_ roof is caving in, now!"

Rae crawled on her hands and knees. There had been nothing in the room when she came in; where did they hide the key? Bumping her head on the roof, she glanced upwards. There, a few paces away, was a pushed out section in the shape of a circle. Scrambling to it, Rae pushed it. Nothing. She pulled, and it came off in her hand. 

"It's stopped." Link said.

There was another grinding noise, and two small crawlspaces opened in each of the rooms. Link and Rae reported this to the other at the same time, and then went through. 

They ended up in a room that separated the two heroes via a chain link fence. They met at the fence.

"Now what?" Link asked, glancing at the small pool at the opposite end of the room. "This is the 'drowsy sea.'" He told Rae of the signs.

Rae nodded thoughtfully, gazing at the waters. "I wonder why it's called that…" She squinted into the murky depths. "Are there passages in there?"

Link edged closer to the water. Indeed, there were dark tunnels under the water. Leaning close to the water, Link sniffed the steam rising from it. "This is Haerisha!"

"What?" Rae asked. 

"Haerisha." Link looked at her. "A Gerudo drink. I'm pretty sure that it's very alcoholic." He smiled. "Drowsy Sea is right…"

"What do you mean by that?" Rae asked, dipping her hand into the water. It seemed fine to her; it wasn't like they were going to drink it or anything.

Link shrugged. "This stuff can knock out a fully grown Goron just by breathing it in!" He stepped away. "And now we have to swim through it."

Rae nodded. "I see what you're talking about." She thought about it for a minute. "Where's Navi?" 

A blue swirl came into existence. "What do you want?" She said nastily to Rae.

"Can you go into the water?" Rae asked. "Take a look around and see how far the tunnels go?"

Navi made a noise that sounded like a sigh. "I suppose…" She flittered away, dipping into the water with a light plop. There was a five-minute wait before she reappeared again, fluttering in the air. "They lead to a dead end." She reported. "Other than that, there's nothing." She blipped out again, disappearing into the folds of Link's hat.

Link's forehead scrunched up in concentration. "Well. That kills what ideas we have."

"But why put the water here?" Rae mused, bending over to peer once more into the liquid. Her vision glittered, and a deep imprint suddenly appeared in the floor, in the shallow water. "Look!"

"At what?"

Digging into her pocket, Rae pulled out the small circle that she had carried in from the other room. She put it into the hole. There was an ominous click and it turned, merging again with the floor. Rae stood as the chain links vanished into the floor, and watched as a small shelf dropped down from the ceiling. It held a thick box that bore a dial with colors and symbols. 

Link examined it critically. There were four colors in all; red, green, blue and amber. There were four symbols; a woman wearing a blindfold with a red eye drawn on it, another woman with hair of water, a third woman with a dress of vines, and a fourth with a handful of sand. There was an inscription as well. 

"'To gain the treasure of the grounds, choose the Lady and her color. Choose wrong and suffer the consequences." Link read aloud. "Well, that's easy." He went to press the green square.

Rae's hand closed on his wrist. "Wait." She looked up at him. "Think about it for a moment. You're going to choose green and Farore, right?" Link nodded. "This is a _Gerudo_ training ground. Who would _they_ choose?"

Link's eyes widened. "Right…" He pressed the amber button, and the picture of the woman with the sand. There was a low whirring, and the box top popped open. 

"Congratulations."

Link and Rae both spun at the same time, dually holding onto the bright blue jewel that was contained inside the box. Allyx and Crys stood at the door of the room. Both of them seemed to be pleased.

"Well done, Rae, Link." Allyx said grudgingly, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. "You are now full fledged members of the Gerudo Thieves. There will be a feast held in your honour tonight." She paused, turning a ring on her hand forward. "Well met. You did far better than I thought you would."

Link spoke. "That's everyone's first mistake."

Allyx nodded respectfully. "You may keep the jewel. It is called Nayru's love."

~*~*~*~

Link stumbled down the darkened hallways of the fortress, humming lowly to himself as he drank from a ceramic flask. The Gerudo liquor inside was smooth and lightly tinted with an exotic flavour that Link found quite appealing. He had fallen for the drink on his first sip, and preceded to down quite a bit more before he even realized that it was alcoholic. It was a long while after that that he realised that it was Haerisha, the very substance that he almost had to swim through only hours before. A torch flickered on the walls, and Link found himself endlessly fascinated by the patterns that they made. A Gerudo found him standing in a corner, staring at the torchlight. She merely laughed and steered him back to the banquet. 

The room was loud and noisy, and filled with brightly dressed women. If it weren't for the fact that Link had already drunk quite a lot of booze, he would have been overwhelmed. 

"Hi." A woman in a dark navy dress said coyly, she tossed her dark hair over one shoulder. 

"H'lo." Link said, his tongue thick in his mouth. She was quite pretty, really. Her eyes had a nice glitter to them. They sort of reminded him of jewels… "What's yo'r name?"

"Kalena." 

"That's really pretty…" Link said honestly. 

"Do you think _I'm_ really pretty?" 

"Ac'ually, I think ev'rything's really pretty, ri' now…"

"How…nice…" Kalena purred, drawing closer to him. Link hardly blinked as he felt her run her hands down his chest. There was no heat in the touch…nothing…not like with Rae…

"Now, now, Kalena. He is our guest." 

The Gerudo jerked away at the voice. Allyx, the Gerudo in charge of the fortress, slinked out of the shadows and into view. Dressed for the occasion, she was stunning in a lofty scarlet dress and sparkling gold jewellery. 

Link squinted owlishly at her. "You're _really _pretty." 

Allyx patted him on the cheek. "Of course I am." She shot a glance at Kalena. "Excuse me while I steal Link away…" She turned sharply on one heel, and drew Link along with her. "Come along, now…"

"'kay…"

Allyx glanced at him. "I think that you've had quite enough festivities for one night. Come, I will show you where you can sleep without being bothered."

"Where's Rae?" Link stumbled, almost flying headfirst into a wall. Allyx snagged his tunic collar at the last second, and prevented this. She pushed him through a curtain and into a pile of pillows and silks. 

"She has already retired." Allyx replied. "Do not worry about her. Get some rest." She paused at the doorway. "I'll see you in the morning, little fox."

Link grunted a reply, in an incomprehensible jumble, and the head thief left the room. 

~*~*~*~

A masked figure met them at the entrance to the desert the next morning. It was Sheik, a long burnoose covering most of his navy bodysuit.  

Rae grinned. "Hey, Sheik. How you been?"

"As well as one can be in a desert." He replied with a half smile. His scarf was down as he talked to them. "The desert is a place of powerful magics. The Goddess of the Sands will permit only the strongest to travel to her temple." He pulled out his harp. "This is the Requiem of Spirit. Play it to return here, to the Gerudo Fortress. This will be the only warp song that will be successful in the desert sands. Not even the prelude of light will have power there. "

Link memorized the song, and the three of them stood in silence for a while. 

"Well…" Rae started, shifting her grip on her staff. "I guess…we'd better be going…"

Sheik nodded, dark eyes on her. "Of course…good luck…to the both of you…" He hesitated. "Use your eyes while you are out there. There may be things hidden from sight." Stepping back a few paces, his lifted and dropped his arm in one swift motion. There was a flash of bright light and Rae and Link were left blinking away the dots in front of their eyes. 

"What do you suppose he meant by that?" Link asked curiously. Rae shrugged, wondering if it was a reference to her newly acquired second-sight. 

"Hey! You down there!" 

Link and Rae looked up. A Gerudo was calling to them from atop the gate. She had auburn hair that hung in blue-brown eyes. A wide smile was on her face, and she waved down at the two heroes. "Are you wanting to go into the desert?"

"Yes!" Link called up to her. "Can you open the gate?" 

She laughed. "Do you think you are tough enough to brave the Haunted Wasteland?" She shook a finger at them. "The Goddess will not let the weak survive out there."

"We must reach the Temple on the other side." Link informed her. "We need to speak with Nabooru." 

The Gerudo raised a slender eyebrow in surprise. "Nabooru? Have you permission from Allyx?" 

Rae nodded. "Yes. We have."

The guard whistled. "You must be quite the warriors to have Allyx's blessing to see the leader of our people. I will open the gates for you." 

"Thank you." Rae and Link said in unison.

She shook her head. "But beware the trials of the sands. First you must cross the river of sand, and second you must follow the invisible guide to the other side."

"How are we to follow an indivisible guide?" Link asked in confusion. 

She laughed, shrugging. "How am I to know? It is said that only the priestesses of the Sand Goddess can pass through the storm unharmed, but all others who dare to challenge the winds must obtain the eye of truth."

"Eye of truth?" Link repeated.

Rae smiled. "Thank you for the information. Would you please let us through now?"

The Gerudo stared down at her in amazement. "You still want to face the desert? Fine by me." She clapped her hands. There was a pause, and the gate started to slide open. "I know one who resides at the Desert Colossus. If you tell her that you are Sara's friend, she will give you shelter from the relentless winds."

Rae thanked her. "Where is the Desert Colossus?"

Sara smiled down at her. "After the River of Sand, but before the place of the Guiding Ghost. It is a small fortress. You cannot miss it."

Link and Rae waved good-bye as they started their trek into the desert. Sara watched them go, a bemused look on her face. "May the wild regions of the Goddess favour you, foolish travelers…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

There ya go. Another chapter, just like I promised. J Sorry if the Gerudo training grounds was too quick. I just wanted a small little thing. *Ducks the rotten veggies* Yeah, and I'm sorry about the cheesiness of it all, too. 

If you are reading this, and are about to press the review button with flames in your eyes, because you don't see someone remotely the same to whom you are, then wait until the next chapter. I originally had this as all one chapter, but it was getting too lengthy, so I sliced it in two pieces. Plus, I'm not done the second half yet. 

Still working on it…

OracleVortex

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	13. The Desert Goddess

Chapter Thirteen: The Desert Goddess

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: Nothing, I own. Want, I do. Get, I won't.  {Eat your heart out, Yoda!}

Second part of the Spirit Temple. There ya go peeps. J

And I've decided to recognize all those who _did_ win the contest. I went back and noticed how I basically just brushed them off, and I feel really bad about it. Here are those who were able to spot the connection, which was a combo of Rae twirling her staff at the moment that she said, "Yet I am" and the fact that she was wearing the same clothes she was when she saw Sheik again. Good job to: Slinkster Sunshine, Kat Reverie, Blue the Echidna, Sara, Rikku-oh-ki and Kinza1200. (Is that everyone?) Thanks to all who tried!

Here's the second half for y'all!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Goddess!" Link yelped as he sank knee deep into the sand. Rae scrambled forward, pulling her friend out of the grainy death trap. 

"This isn't working!" She yelled, straining her voice so that he could hear it over the wind. In the swirling storm, a faint outline of a distant set of poles marked their goal. "We have to find a way over there!"

"And how do you suggest that we do that?" Link replied loudly.

Rae shrugged at him, eyes searching in the dim. _Wait…what is that?_ She squinted, taking an involuntary half-step forward. Link grabbed a hold of her arm and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" He shouted. 

Rae pointed to the ground near to them. "Can't you see it?"

"Yes! It's the floor of the desert!" Link threw up his hands. "What's so special about it?"

She shook her head. "No! It's a pathway! You can't see it?" From her point of view, she vaguely recognized a narrow walkway of cream-colored marble, repelling all swirling grains of sand from around them. It glowed with a mysterious light, dull in the storm.  _This must be what Sheik was hinting about…bless that man…_

Link searched quickly. "There's nothing but sand! What are you talking about?" Rae snagged his wrist, quickly going forward. "What are you doing?!"

Rae ploughed onwards, bearing into the heart of the sands. She froze for a moment, as the pathway wavered out of her sight, and quickly brought out the Lens of Truth, pushing them sturdily onto the bridge of her nose. The walk came back into view, brighter and more visible than it was before. Link was shouting incoherent protests, but Rae only tightened her grip on him and moved relentlessly forward.

It was a few nerve-shattering moments before they reached the opposite of the River of Sand, but they did so in one piece. Both collapsed on the bank of sand, hearts beating rapidly. 

"Don't ever…do that…again…" Link muttered into the ground.

Rae flopped back. "Sorry. Couldn't be helped."

Link shifted beside her. "Look." Rae craned her neck in the direction that he was indicating. Down the slope, the opposite way from which they had just came, was the clear figure of a small fortress. It was more like a safe hold, really. The flagpole out front clearly bore the flag of the Gerudos. 

"We made it." Link said, glancing sideways at her. 

"Y-yeah."

~*~*~*~

The Gerudo examined the two travelers in front of her critically. The first, a male Hylian, dressed strangely, in blue, and bore a long sword over his shoulder. His companion, a mysterious woman of unknown origin, watched her with gleaming green-red eyes. It was quite disturbing. 

"Why do you travel across Haunted Wasteland?" She asked.

The male spoke. "We travel to the Temple to talk to Nabooru." He paused. "Sara said that we would be able to seek shelter here."

The Gerudo's eyes narrowed. "Sara?"

The woman spoke this time. "Yes. She guarded the gate to the Desert sands."

The Gerudo smiled, leaning back in her chair. "Please, sit down. I am Echidna. I know Sara." She waved a hand to a near-by servant. "Forgive my suspicion. We do not receive many travellers out here. Few pass through the River of the Sands as well as you did."

The woman blinked. "You were watching us? Why didn't you offer us help?" 

Echidna grinned this time. "The only ones who know how to pass through the River of Sand know how to follow the Ghost Guide to the Temple of the Goddess. Others need not come at all."

The man inclined his head. "I am Link. This is Rae."

"Well met, travellers. You may rest here and be on your way."

Rae bowed slightly. "Thank you."

~*~*~*~  
  


Rae shielded her eyes from the sharp winds, noting that Echidna could clearly see as to where she was going. She and Link followed the woman up the steep incline of yet another hill. 

"Here!" Echidna yelled, her hair whipping around wildly. "There is the Guide's pedestal!"

A few paces away, a cream colored marble stand stood alone in the sand. It was plain and unadorned, and it was strangely small, not even half buried in the sand. 

"I must leave you here!" Echidna shouted. "May the Goddess protect you from here on!"

"Thank you for your help!" Link replied back.

"It is by Her will that you have come this far!" The taller woman started back for the Dessert Colossus. "Follow the guide, no matter what happens! Or else you will end up back here!" She waved one last time, vanishing over the horizon.

Link gripped the podium, shifting from foot to foot to prevent sinking. "There's something written on here!"

"What does it say?" Rae asked. 

"One with the eye of truth shall be guided to the Temple of the Sands." Link looked at Rae. "We don't have the 'eye of truth.'"

Rae smiled, taking the glasses off of her head and sliding them onto her nose. "But we do…" She stared ahead. Slowly, in the foggy winds, a form appeared. It was a Gerudo woman, young and wispy, sitting on the pedestal. Her clothes were the traditional white with the Gerudo symbols, but they seemed to be torn, and flowing in the air. She was leaning on one hand, absorbed in watching Rae and Link talk. She didn't seem aware that Rae could see her. 

"Are you the Ghost Guide?" 

The woman seemed surprised to be addressed. "Are you talking to me?" She stood, floating in the air. "You are, aren't you?"

Link looked around. "Where is that voice coming from?"

The girl crossed her arms, pouting. "Why is it that the cute ones never see me?" She looked at Rae. "Why?"

Rae stared at her. "Uh, I don't…know…" Pulling off the glasses, Rae was glad to notice that she could still see the girl, even if she was a little indistinct. She then handed them to Link, who looked at her sideways before putting them on.

"Farore's Wind!" Link gasped, looking up at the girl. "Who are you?"

The girl clapped her hands gleefully. "Yay! You_ can_ see me!!" She tilted upside-down in mid-air. "Oh! My name is Sunnie! I'm the Ghost Guide!"

Link stared at her. "You're quite happy for a ghost guide."

Sunnie shrugged. "Someone has to be, in such dark times like these." She grinned. "I haven't seen anyone out here since that particularly fetching young man with the red eyes." She sighed. "He didn't have any trouble seeing me at all. Makes me wish that I was corporal again." She winked at Rae. "If you know what I mean."

"Red eyes?" Link repeated. "Was his name Sheik?"

Sunnie nodded vigorously. "Ooh! Yes! That _was_ name!!" She looked at Rae again. "Cute _and_ smart!" She waved one hand at them. "But you want to go through to the other side, don't you?" Without waiting for an answer, she hopped off the pedestal and started out into the sands. "Follow me!"

Rae and Link shared a glance, but never the less followed Sunnie out, deeper into the Haunted Wasteland. She seemed to be leading them in circles; her ghostly skip and hop sending her zigzagging into the sandbanks. At one point, she turned completely around and started to lead them in the direction that they had come from. 

"Are you sure this is the way?" Link asked, unsure. 

Sunnie turned around and smiled sweetly at him. "Don't you worry, handsome, I know this place like the back of my hand." She looked down at the feature in question. "Well…if I _had_ hands anymore." She smiled sadly at her ghostly digits. "Oh well…" She shrugged and bounded away.

"Goddess…" Link muttered, following after her. Rae wasn't too far behind.

It was almost a half of an hour before Sunnie stopped and faced the two heroes. "Before I take you to the Temple, I want to know your names." 

"I'm Link and this is Rae." 

Sunnie's mouth opened. "_You're_ Link and Rae?" She gleefully twirled in the air. "Oooh, is Ganon mad at you!"

Link's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you working for Ganon?"

Sunnie laughed. "Are you kidding? Have you seen that man? He is evil and a bad, bad man!" She winked. "And he can't even see me!" Sunnie looked at Link sadly. "It's too bad that you have to go to the Temple…I really liked you…" She vanished.

"Wait!" Link cried. "What about the Temple?"

Rae tapped him on the shoulder. "Turn around." He did. In the near distance was a huge statue of a woman in the lotus position. They had reached the Temple in the Sands. It was a slow journey, but they made their way to the giant stairs, half-climbing and half-jumping up the half dozen steps. 

The main doors were shut, an engraving of the Triforce deeply imprinted in the centre of the slabs. A pair of wings encircled the symbol, as if to give it flight. There were no handles on the door, and it didn't yield when Rae and Link tried to push it open. 

"Well, that was pretty useless." Link said, turning around to glare out at the sandy terrain. "We can't even enter the temple."

"I know…" Rae said with a frown. "Strange though. Why isn't there anyone here?" Of course, there wasn't _supposed_ to be anyone there, according to the game, but Rae hardly based anything on it anymore. What was the last thing that was as exactly as it was? 

"Who dares enter the realm of the Sand Goddess?" A single female voice echoed in the empty expanse of the shrine entrance. 

"We seek the council of Nabooru." Rae called out, just as Link was opening his mouth. "Allyx bid us permission that we may cross the sands to reach her."

"You lie." Came the ghostly echo. 

"She tells the truth." Link said, trying to elevate their position. "We come to speak with Nabooru; that is all."

There was a long pause before an answer came back. "You've brought a man into the dessert of the Goddess?"

Rae rolled her eyes. "He is most worthy, I assure you."

A scattering of sand preceded the arrival of a Gerudo. She leapt down from atop the giant arch, landing easily on both feet. Dressed all in white, an identical veil was hung over her face, protecting her from the elements. "I guard the gates to the inner shrine." She eyed Link warily. "I am Chetori, the Gatekeeper. Only I can open the doors. I see that since you have crossed the sands unscathed, you must be worthy enough to enter here." She paused. "But be warned that not all inside are as lenient as I.  Many will ask you to prove yourself." She clapped her hands twice. "Enter if it does please you still."

Link and Rae waited while the large doors slid aside. Without another word they entered the building, fear all but nonexistent in their personages. 

"Brave fools." Chetori murmured.

~*~*~*~

"Stop!" The sharp lilt of a voice froze the two heroes in mid-step. The entrance of the temple yielded to a long marble hallway, tall windows on either side. Upon entering the door at the opposite end, they came upon a room veiled over and over by gauzy amber curtains. A guard appeared from behind one, ridged double swords pointing at their throats. "Trespassers, come with me."

Rae and Link didn't argue as they were led through the hazy maze, shoes clicking on the tiled floor. Soon they entered what must have been the centre chamber, a circle room holding a large gold throne and several dozen silk pillows. A regal woman sat atop the throne, every inch of her oozing with authority. Unlike most Gerudo women, who had red hair and amber eyes, she had platinum hair, blue in color, with natural brown bangs. It was ankle length and intricately braided, ended with a typical ruby holder. In one hand she held a javelin, silver and thin, but in the other was a hammer, dark and deadly. She appeared to be a warrior waiting for the call to battle. 

"This is Hoseki Morino." The guard hissed, kicking at the backs of their knees. "Bow!"

Rae and Link tumbled to the ground. The woman on the dais smiled slightly, tilting her head. "Why do you need to speak with Nabooru?"

Link didn't speak. Why _did_ they need to speak with Nabooru?

Rae stared the woman straight in the eye. "Our business is with her, not you."

The guard gasped. Hoseki's eyes narrowed. "I _am_ Nabooru. I am her eyes and ears. Anything that you say to her, you must say to me first."

"So you can decide what she does and does not know?" Rae shot back. Link looked at her in horror. "I will say nothing till I talk to her."

"Defiant little thing, aren't you?" Hoseki murmured in amusement. "I wonder if the snake will talk after she loses her head…"

Rae's red-green eyes glinted strangely in the light of the room. "Be careful…I'll still bite."

"And feisty as well!" Hoseki laughed. She glanced sideways at Link. "What's wrong little one? Cat got your tongue?" Link didn't reply. He preferred to let his glare do the talking. "Hmph. You aren't much fun, are you?" She shifted her grip on the javelin thoughtfully. "You wish to talk to Nabooru, do you? Fine." She snapped her fingers at the guard. "Take them to the sorceress sisters. Let them deal with these fools." 

Link and Rae were roughly shoved through the curtains, pushed in an entirely different direction than that which they had entered in the first place. The guard led them silently down a dark corridor, absent of all lamps. Their footfalls echoed in the dim hall, hailing heir arrival. 

"Here." The guard said, pointing to a gold plated door with the blade of her sword. "Enter."

Link went first, hesitantly pushing the door open. It made no noise, but swung on soundless hinges. Entering on soft treads, Rae and Link squinted in the hazy smoke of the room. The door swung slammed shut behind them, ringing in the interior of the room. Rae sneezed; intense incense hung in the air, pressing down heavily on her. It was suffocating.

"So…" A light voice lingered in the chamber.

"They sent you to us, did they?" Commented another. 

From out of the smoke, two figures appeared, tall and young in appearance. They seemed to be twins; one wore long black robes with blue swirls and stitching, while the other had red stitching in hers. 

"What a courageous pair to intrude so boldly into our temple, Kinza." The first said, her green/blue/hazel eyes flickering playfully. Auburn blonde hair flowed from a sapphire jewelled headdress. 

"We should teach these outrageous two a lesson, Kat." The second one – Kinza – had dark blonde hair under a ruby jewelled headdress, and eyes that shifted from green to blue to grey and back again. 

Both of them raised an arm to the ceiling. "Loyal minion!" They said together. "Destroy this intruder on our behalf!" 

A deep clanging reached their ears, paced out and slightly intimidating. Another figure appeared in the dark, clad in armour and carrying a massive battle-axe. The person wore a helmet, and their face was hidden. 

Anticipating the first movement split seconds before it came crashing down, Rae shoved Link aside, and rolled deeper into the smoky room. She held onto her spear tightly. It was one that she had been given before leaving the Fortress, to replace the staff that the guards had destroyed in their small battle. 

Link came to his feet quickly, darting out of sword's reach. His own blade glinted before him, one hand holding it tightly. His shield was out as well, providing a protection of sorts. The deep clanging warned Link of his opponent's arrival, and he spun to parry a heavy strike. The minion was strong, Link had to grant him that, but Link had something that he didn't. A partner. 

Rae appeared in the haze, sweeping her new spear under their enemy's legs. The armoured figure fell hard, battle-axe sliding across the floor. His head slammed backwards on the tiles, and he didn't move. Link raised his sword to strike again. 

"No!" Rae cried, suddenly worried about the enemy. "Don't kill her!" Kneeling in front of Link, Rae pulled the helmet off of the downed warrior. Red hair tumbled free and a face lifted to the sky. It was a woman. "This is Nabooru." Rae explained. 

Kinza hissed, "No! How could you know that?" 

Kat was just as equally mad. "You have never been to this desert! You could not have met her!"

Rae shrugged.  "And yet I have." She said, hefting the borrowed spear. Link took up a position beside her, Master Sword glinting in the light.   
  


Kinza's eyes narrowed dangerously, her eyes shifting to an icy silver-grey. "With my flame, I will burn _you_ to the bone!" A flash of light revealed an intricately carved broom into her hand. 

Kat flicked her hair behind her shoulder, a matching broom appearing in her hand. "With my frost, I will freeze _him_ to his soul!" She pointed at Link. 

"Sister!"

"Sister!" 

The two sorceresses took to the air, circling the two heroes as if they were their prey. At the same time they flung balls of frost and flame at Rae and Link. They separated, diving into the concealing fog of the incense. It still hadn't cleared from the room.  

Link crept about in the mist, searching for Rae. This time they had a more powerful opponent, and they needed to plan out a way to attack. A streak of fire flew past one shoulder, close enough to make Link's hair singe. 

"Next time, " Kinza's voice warned, "I won't miss."

Link scrambled away, coming into contact with a wall. Rae approached him from his right, stepping quietly.  "What do we do now?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "I really don't know."

"What?"

"So the two tresspassers are trapped in a corner, Kinza." Kat said. She waved on hand, and a wind rose in the chamber. The fog swept away, and left everyone in clear vision. Indeed. Link and Rae where trapped in one corner, both sisters standing on the ground in front of them with their hands raised to cast a spell. 

"I see that they are, Kat. Let us finish them?" 

"Indeed, sister." 

"Let me hold them with my might!" A flick of a finger, and a ring of fire rose around the two. Experimentally, Rae leaned to one side, and the wall grew higher. 

"Rae—" Link started. 

Rae bumped against the Hylian, his pack jabbing sharply into her stomach. She had a brilliant idea. Digging inside the bag, she pulled out Nayru's Love. 

"You don't know what it does!" Link cried and she held it out before her, summoning its power.

_Just one last time, Nayru…_

"And let them never again see night!" Kat threw open her hands, sending a wave of arctic ice in Link's and Rae's direction. In that instant, a blue shield rose around the couple. It glinted like the transporting jewels, and repelled the icy blast. 

"No!" The two sorceresses screeched, throwing their hands up in defence. They were frozen in that position, looks of horror and disbelief on their faces. 

The fire around Link and Rae died, and they were free to walk around. Nabooru groaned, and they helped her out of the heavy armour. She stood unaided, flexing her hands and regaining her composure.  Link and Rae filled her in on what had happened. 

Nabooru smiled at Link and Rae. "I admit, that I don't know who you are, but I do thank you very much." She looked at the twin sisters, who were both frozen in ice. "I will send these to Zora's Domain, where there will be no worries that they will ever awaken again." Nabooru handed Rae a thin orange medallion. "I use to serve under Ganon, but he handed me over to the Sorceress sisters for 'safe keeping.' I am glad that I am now to fight with the six sages against him. I can pay back what he did to me!" Nabooru shook her head. "Thank you again, travellers. You are welcome at the Oasis and at the Fortress whenever you wish." She bowed deeply. "I have a feeling that I _will_ see you again." 

Link and Rae bowed deeply in return. Link played the Requiem of Spirit, and they were swept away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Rikku-oh-ki for the description of her character, Hoseki Morino, because that certainly is too good to have come from my brain.  J And I hope that Kat Reverie and Kinza1200 won't hate me too much for making them the 'bad guys' of the Spirit Temple. I just thought that it would be cooler that way, and their names were kind of the same…kinda…you know – Kat and Kinza…both K's…never mind... 

Don't hurt me! {Hides}

Yeah, so I _really_ changed the Spirit Temple, but oh well… I was too lazy to have them go back in time, blah, blah, and then come back and do it again as grown ups, yadda, yadda… Don't get me wrong, that's my favourite temple in the whole game, but it's too long to read as a fanfic. (In my opinion) Besides, I'm making this believable to a reality, not a game. Meh… Besides, there's going to be plenty of fighting in the upcoming chapters, and I want to save all the good moves and stuff. ;)

(PS) MORE THAN 50 REVIEWS??? YEAH!!! THANK YOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!! I LUV Y'ALL!!!!! A-hem… ^_______________^

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	14. Revealed and Captured

Chapter Fourteen: Revealed and Captured

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Disclaimer: I own nothing…still….and it will always be that way…

I wrote a small one shot-er for x-mas; it's about Sheik, so check it out if you haven't already. Beware of fluff, and sorry if the pairing isn't exactly common. I thought that it suited it very well. It's also outside of this (Reset into the Game) storyline, so it's not like he's cheating on his feelings for Rae or anything. Feel free to take a look! J OH! It's called All Too Visible.

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In a flash of light that was brilliant and thriving, Rae and Link suddenly found themselves on the warp platform in the Temple of Time. Standing near the pedestal at the other side of the room was Sheik. He came closer upon their arrival.

"You have succeeded?" He asked urgently. They nodded. "Good." He straightened his posture slightly. "Now, I believe is the time."

"The time for what?" Link asked. 

Sheik stared the young man in the eyes. "In the time that you were asleep in the Sacred Realm, much had changed. This you know and can see from your travels across the lands. Races were wiped out, people were enslaved, and the sages were locked away forever. When you awoke, Link, as the Hero of Time, bearing the legendary Master Sword, you were sent out on a quest to save the lands. Do you know why?"

Link looked at Sheik strangely. "Ganon's forces had taken over Hyrule; isn't that reason enough?"

Sheik shook his head. "The only reason that he was able to do so was because he had gained a sufficiently large amount of power." Link stared at the Sheikah blankly. "You mean…you don't remember?"

Link glared at him. "Gannon seized the Triforce of Power." He said shortly. "I know."

Sheik again shook his head. "That's not the whole of it, Link…you see…" He hesitated. "Seven years ago, Ganon used the door you opened in the Temple of Time and entered the Sacred Realm. But when he had his hands on the Triforce, a prophecy came true and it separated into three parts. Ganon retained only the Triforce piece of Power, while the other two went to their destined holders. Ganon had gained a mighty and terrible power, yes, but he still sought out the strength of the other two pieces."

"Get to the point, Sheik!" Link said irritably. He didn't like speaking of the past; it was a hazy, unreal time to him. 

The other young man paused, glancing sidewards at Rae. She had said nothing since they had arrived at the temple. Only now did she speak.  "You hold one of the Triforce pieces, Link. You have the piece of courage."

Link stared at her. Then he stared at Sheik. "I…I have a part of the Triforce? But how?"

"When it split, it instinctively went to you." Sheik explained. "You are a child of destiny, Link."

"Then who has the last piece?" Link asked. "You?"

Sheik laughed. "No…that is not my fate. I think, now that you know, you can meet the holder of the third piece." Extending his arms, he clapped them together sharply. A dazzling blaze of daylight filled the room, and then faded away. Revealed, a woman stood at Sheik's side. 

"Who—?" Link gasped. 

She had long blonde hair, drawn back from her face by a golden tiara. Wise blue eyes glittered in a young face, and Triforce symbols dangled from her earlobes. She wore a simple white gown, with a pink shift tied to the waist, letting a drapery of embroidered fabric drop to the floor. Slim hands folded in front of her, covered in long white gloves.  

Rae bowed slightly. "Princess." To her right, Link was trying to make his throat work.

Zelda smiled at them both. "So this is Rae?" She glanced at Sheik, who blushed lightly. Shaking her head, she went on. "I apologise for remaining hidden to you for all this time, but it was not safe for me to walk in the open. Instead, my brother acted as my eyes and ears." She indicated Sheik.

Link sputtered. "B-brother?" Rae wasn't surprised. She already knew. 

Zelda went on. "It was all necessary in order to deceive the King of Evil. Please forgive me." She looked kindly at Link. "When you were sealed away in the Sacred Realm, your spirit matured and grew, preparing you for what you were to face."

"Prepare me?" Link demanded incredulously. "I thought I was a Kokiri! I thought that I had saved the world! I lived out my life, visiting old friends and having a peaceful existence! For the next seven years, I never even picked up a sword!" He stopped, pain showing in his expression. "When I came back, everything was different, changed. My friends didn't recognize me, I realised that I had no family, and I was double my remembered size! That is _not_ being prepared!"

Zelda looked rather taken aback. "I-I am sorry, Link. We had no control over the life that you had lead in your stasis. There was nothing I could have done to prevent that."

Link appeared ready to burst out again, but Rae stepped in between him and the Princess. "Getting back to the immediate problem, Princess?" She suggested. 

Zelda passed a weary hand over her face. "Yes. Now that you have awoken all the Sages, and gathered their power in the form of the medallions, we are finally ready to move against Ganon. The six sages will open the sealed door and hurl Ganon back into the place between realms. Then we will seal it again, and you will put the Master Sword to rest, insuring that something like this will never happen again!" 

The Temple suddenly shook and a dark flash of light flared up around the Princess. 

"Zelda!" Sheik cried, placing his hands on the flat surface of the jewel that now encased his sister. The shell flickered at his touch, and he was sent flying backwards. Link and Rae caught him, restraining him from doing it again. 

"Princess Zelda." A deep voice drawled. "You foolish girl! I commend you for evading my capture for these seven long years, but you let your guard down." A dark laughing filled the Temple, but there appeared to be no source of the voice. 

"Let her go, Ganon!" Sheik demanded fiercely. 

"Let her go? I think not, Sheikah." He spit out the name like it was a filthy thing. "I will gain Zelda's Triforce piece. If you want to save your precious sister, then come to my castle!" He laughed once more, and then the crystal containing Zelda vanished.

"Zelda!" Sheik exclaimed, his tone low. He stopped fighting against Link and Rae's strength, and their arms sagged under his weight. "No…" They set him gently to the ground.  "No." He breathed. "Not after all this time…it can't just…"

Rae touched him lightly. "We will save her. We have to."

"Or die trying." Link added. 

"Or die trying…" Sheik whispered. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

There you go. Another chapp, another evil cliff-hanger.  ^____^  I love cliff hangers. 

Reviewers: WE DON'T!!!!

Yeah, I know, but you got two chapters at the same time, so you'll have to wait for a little while longer before you see the next one.

Reviewers: Noooooo! The evilness of it all!

Yeah, but that's the way it is sometimes. Meh. 

Sheik: Hey, while on the subject of the evilness of it all, why do you always beat on me? Link's the hero—make _him_ hurt all the time!

Link: I do! I lived a fake life all those seve-

Sheik: Oh suck it up. I lost my entire race in a seven-year battle, I can't figure out how to get Rae to like me That Way, my sister was just kidnapped by Ganon, and I think I snapped one of my harp strings!! {Pouts}

OV: {Hugs Sheik} Sorry Link, I think he wins this one

Link: *mumbles darkly*

Sheik: {Smiles in a satisfied way} 

Luv ya all to pieces,

OracleVortex

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	15. Ganon's Tower

Chapter Fifteen: Ganon's Tower

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Link: OracleVortex decided that she didn't want to write these anymore. So she thought that she would get me and—

Sheik: Me

Link: --To do this for her.

Sheik: So she doesn't own us.

Link: Or anything else that has to do with the Legends of Zelda.

Sheik: So you can't sue her. P

This chapter is dedicated to my friend Link0623, who is a brilliant author on FF.Net. Go and read his LotZ fics – they are so cool and well done!!

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"If only we could fly…" Rae mused dryly. They now stood in front of the gap that once housed the castle. The bastion, itself, was several hundred feet in the air, hideous with its dark towers and turrets, gargoyles and pointed wire fences, and black marble. A thick cloud of smoke hung overhead. 

"We won't need to." Sheik said. 

As if on cue, six hazy figures appeared in the space in front of them. From Saria to Rauru, all the sages appeared. Turning in unison, they raised their hands to the castle, murmuring in low voices. In moments, a shimmering, shifting bridge of many colors appeared. Putting out a foot, Link carefully stepped onto the rainbow bridge. It was solid. 

Rauru turned to the three heroes as the rest of the sages vanished. "Zelda is in the top tower with Ganon; go to her! You must hurry! Be wary of the Dark King! He has more than one trick up his sleeve. We will come to you when you need to seal the Dark King away in the place between realms. Go! Hurry!" 

The sage of light vanished and the three heroes cautiously made their way into the castle, taking the care to be extra silent. After heading down a hallway that normally would have seemed grand, they entered a tall, wide room filled with magic and arches. The staircase directly ahead of them led up to a tower door. It may have sounded easy, except for the many shields of magic that extended around the tower entrance

Link poked the shields experimentally with the point of his sword. The barrier fizzed and then sang, throwing the weapon backwards. "Well…" He sheathed the sword again, putting his hands on his hips. "Now what are we supposed to do?" 

Sheik cast a sidelong glance at Rae, but she only shrugged. There were no doors lining the room, like it had in the game, so there had to be some other way to dispel the barriers that were placed on the tower entrance. She and Link circled the area, looking for hidden switches and possible secret doors. They found nothing. 

Sheik squinted at the magical barrier, closely examining the mixed braids of color and patterns. The strongest of them all appeared to be a violet sheen, shifting almost mysteriously around the rest of the six colors. "Rae, come here for a moment." He touched the violet light, feeling the darkness in the touch. 

Rae was suddenly at his elbow. "What is it?"

"Help me look into the shield." Sheik said, crimson pupils shifting her way. "I think that there is more to the colors and patterns than we originally thought."

Rae nodded. "What must I do?" 

Sheik pressed his left hand to her right, weaving their fingers together. Sheik suppressed a tremble at the warm heat of her touch, and extended his free hand to the wall of color. Rae copied his motion, and their fingertips met at the same spot, creating a ripple in the magic. 

"Now concentrate on the truth, look for the key." Sheik instructed.  

"All right." She closed her eyes, drawing a violet disc from her pocket. It was the shadow medallion. "Perhaps this can help." She pressed it to the shield, and Sheik lightly touched the disc. There was a flutter, and there was a loud burst in the air, as they were sent flying back. 

Sheik slammed hard against the banister, and he felt the wind abruptly leave his lungs. Rae crashed into the railing beside him, almost loosing her footing and tumbling off the edge. Link came their way, worry plastered across his features. "Are you two all right?"

  
Sheik sucked in air quietly, trying to hide his ailment. "Y-yes…"

Rae coughed, lightly touching Sheik's shoulder before standing. "I think we broke the shadow's barrier." 

"Shadow's barrier?" Link asked, offering a hand to Sheik. The Sheikah shook his head, rising gracefully. 

"When you defeated each of the guardians at the various temples, their power and spirits must have been sent back here to guard the tower entrance." Sheik indicated the shelf, which now was lacking a violet overshadow. "Being linked to the darkness, and to the shadows that is being protected, the shadow beast was the key to the rest of the shield. If you place the rest of the medallions on the barrier, the power of the Sages should cause it to fall."

Link nodded, reaching into a pocket to reveal a small velvet pouch. Dumping its contents into one hand, he began to place each of the colored medallions on the barrier. One by one, the multicolour began to fade away, sending a wave of air outwards as they collapsed. The last to be placed on the tower was the green medallion, the one symbolizing the forest.

With a bright flash, the final barrier collapsed, dissipating into nothingness. The medallions clattered to the floor, and Link gathered them back into the pouch with one sweep of his hand. Pushing open the door, the three of them silently began the long climb to the top of the tower. The staircase was a narrow spiral, devoid of windows or decoration. It gradually grew wider as they ascended, and soon they could walk side-by-bide as they reached the top of the stairs.

The three of them simultaneously hesitated at the large grand doors before them. They all knew the evil and threatening darkness of the Dark king that lay beyond. The question was if they had the nerve or not to turn the gold, gaping, gargoyle handle. 

Sheik and Link both shot a sidewards glance at Rae, who was standing in between them both. Both sets of eyes rose and met, the same thoughts running through their minds. 

"Are you sure that you want to do this, Rae?" Link asked, turning fully to the girl in question. Rae nodded without meeting his eyes, her gaze fixated on the portal in front of her. "Rae, are you sure about this? There's no turning back once you have entered his room."

"I know that." She replied evenly, green-scarlet irises glinting dangerously. "There was no turning back since I joined you at Hyrule castle. This is my battle just as much as it is yours, now."

"Are you sure?" Sheik asked carefully. "These aren't your lands. These aren't your troubles. We don't want to see you hurt."

"And you won't…What's yours is now mine, Sheik, and I plan to fight for it."

There was a short pause at this statement, in which Sheik and Link looked at each other uncertainly. 

"Rae…" Sheik lowered his head, sighing quietly. Rae looked up at him. "Forgive me…" 

In a single swift movement, Sheik pulled her close to him, pressing his lips to hers. Caught in the moment, Rae didn't pull away, despite the look that Link had on his face. Swooning in the exotic taste that was Sheik, she was confused when he shoved her away from him and flung something at her feet. There was a flash of light and Rae had a sudden terrible thought that he had gone and ran. When she could see again, through the bright dots that the flash left on her vision, she was surprised to see that she was standing at the bottom of the castle, on the opposite side of the rainbow bridge.

"No…" She said in horror. "No!" Without another word, Rae started back into the Castle, worry and panic hastening her steps into a run. _Din, Nayru, Farore…whoever may be watching now…please watch over them…_

~*~*~*~

Link silently stared at Sheik, and neither one of them spoke. He felt something beginning to tear inside, but he had to ignore that for the moment. Unthinkingly, they went through the door, both aware and at the ready. What they saw, however, what not what they expected. Gannon sat at the front of the room…playing a hideously large pipe organ. Zelda was seen off to one side, still encased in the jewel.

"Zelda!" Sheik said, taking a step forward. 

"Do not come any closer, Sheikah." Ganon said from his place at the organ. "By all rights, you should have died in the war, but you didn't. I want to draw your death out…I want to enjoy it."

"You won't get the chance." Sheik said lowly. "You didn't then and you won't now."

"Pathetic boy. Keep your delusions."

Link unexpectedly gasped, a sudden and brilliant light flaring on the back of his hand. Lifting it so he and Sheik could see, an imprint of the Triforce was visible, the lower left piece glowing. "Wha-"

"The Triforce parts are resonating. They are combining into one again. The two Triforce parts that I could not capture on that day seven years ago…I did not expect they would be hidden within you two…" Ganon laughed, turning away from the pipe organ. "And now, finally, all the Triforce parts have gathered here. These toys are too much for you." Ganon's eyes flared, and he suddenly held up his right hand, back out. "I command you to return them to me!" 

"Never!" Link hissed through gritted teeth; abruptly feeling like his hand was being torn from his arm. "You could not get the Triforce on that one day, and you won't get it on this one."

"Fool child." Ganon clenched his hand, and made a pulling motion with his hand. To one side, Zelda cried out, falling to her knees. She glowed a deep blue for a moment, before crumpling to the ground. The Triforce piece that she had kept safe for seven years floated to stop in front of Ganon. The King of Evil laughed wickedly. "Now for you, _Hero of Time_."

Link gave out a half yell, as he felt a peculiar tearing in his hand and in his heart and mind. The fingers of his left hand splayed out, and a green light rose around him, revealing a glowing triangle. It joined its sister in front of Ganon, waiting patiently in the air. Sheik caught Link as he sank to the ground. 

Ganon laughed deeply, hardly flinching as the Triforce of power met its companions in the air. "Now, when they join together, I will have the entire Triforce, and nothing will stop me! Not you, not the Sages, not anyone!" He watched the three artefacts hang in the air, greedily. 

A long moment passed. 

"Forgotten something, Ganon?" Sheik asked lowly, with some relish. "Something that you need to put the pieces together?"

"Sheikah," Ganon growled, "You know something…"

Sheik shook his head dramatically. "It's a shame that you didn't do all of your research…you were this close to total domination…"

"You will tell me," Ganon threatened him, standing and going to the jewel in the corner. It vanished, and Ganon picked Zelda up by the hair. She was still unconscious. "You _will_ tell me, or else your precious sister _will_ die."

Sheik laughed hollowly, though he could not hide panic from his eyes. " It's too late, Ganon. The one thing that will bring the Triforce together isn't even here…you'll never find it…"

"What are you talking about, boy?" Ganon snarled.

Sheik shook his head, about to retort, but the door to the room swung open. Rae stood in the frame, Gerudo spear out in front of her defensively.

Sheik's eyes widened. "Rae? No – get out of here!"

"I told you, Sheik, this is my battle too."

"No!" Sheik set Link to the floor. "You don't understand!"

Ganon laughed again, this time a slow and menacing sound. "So…I see what it is that I'm missing…" Ganon waved a hand a Rae. With a yelp, she was jerked off her feet and into Ganon's grasp. Zelda toppled to the ground, forgotten. "This is the pretty little key to the puzzle? The one thing that will bring the Triforce together?"

Rae turned away from Ganon's touch, squirming in his hold. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about."

"Oh, but your friend here, does." Ganon lightly pressed a boot to Zelda's neck, his hands tightening around Rae's throat. "Tell me the secret, Sheikah, or I'll kill them both right before your eyes."

Sheik gasped, horrified at what Ganon was implying. In seconds, the two most important women in his life would be crushed, and could do nothing to prevent it. Rae whimpered, eyes flickering his way.

"Don't…not for Hyrule…" Her voice was cut off by the sudden tightening of Ganon's fingers. 

"Your choice, boy?"

Sheik sighed painfully, glancing at Link before looking up. "I'm sorry." He stood. "Rae is the key. Only she can bring the Triforce into existence again."

"How?" Ganon sneered, stepping down slightly on Zelda's neck. 

"I don't know." Sheik admitted. "There's something about her that gives her the power to touch the Triforce and make it whole."

"You're going to have to do better than that, boy." Rae pulled at Ganon's fingertips, feet kicking in the air. 

"I don't know anymore!" Zelda began to struggle on the floor. "I swear that's all I know! By the Eye, I swear it!" 

"Feh." Ganon kicked Zelda to one side, dropping his hold on Rae. She gulped for air on her knees, slowly edging away. "Now, fix it, girl." He jabbed her in the back with his foot. She exhaled sharply, wobbly getting to her knees.

"What do you expect me to do?" She asked breathily. 

"Just put the pieces together." Ganon forced through gritted teeth.

Rae shakily turned to glare up at him. "I don't bloody well know how!"

Ganon pulled her to her feet by the short lengths of her hair, snarling into her face. "Well you'd better figure it out in the next three seconds, or I will kill your friends, and force you to watch!" To accentuate his point, he lashed out with one hand, a cut appearing along Sheik's jaw. The young man gasped, touching the dripping line. "Now do it!"

Rae swore under her breath, reaching out with her hands to the shimmering triangles. "Unite, damn you!"

There was a blinding explosion of light, and everyone gasped in surprise. Forcing herself to look up. Rae's eyes watered with lasting impressions. The fused Triforce floated into her awaiting hands, and Rae stepped over Ganon – who had collapsed, unconscious, on the floor. 

"We must leave while we can." Sheik said urgently. There was a red smear along his chin, sicken-ly tainting the white cloth around his neck. 

"What about Ganon?" Rae asked. 

"Leave him here." Link said. He was standing by the door, awake and all right. He was carrying Zelda. "We don't want to be in the castle when the changes he made to it start shifting back."

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*Creepy music* Duh-duh-DUH!

Sorry this took so long. I had a temporary presence of writers block. I knew what I wanted to write, but I didn't know how to express it. Meh.

OracleVortex

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	16. The Final Showdown

Chapter Sixteen: The Final Showdown

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Link: OracleVortex doesn't own anything to so with Zelda… etc… 

Sheik: Yup…and today's chapter is brought to you by…

OV: SEQUELS!! You love Star Wars, you love Lord of the Rings, and you love Harry Potter, so why not love The Legends of Zelda? It's a game, it's a cartoon, and it's even a book! (It IS!) Now you can read the sequel to Reset into the Game! It's chock-full of Link, Rae and even Sheik-ness, so be sure to read it!! COMING SOON TO A FANFICTION SITE NEAR YOU!!!

Sheik: As soon as you figure out what you are going to do for it….

OV: *Sends him a dirty look*{Mutters} Know-it-all Sheikah… ;) Lol.

And today's chapter is dedicated to canihavea-soda, who is also an authoress on FF.net. Be sure to go and read her fics! She has an obsession with Ganon right now, so I dedicate this chap to her…even if it is Ganon's undoing. *shrugs* Trust me and go look at her work; it'll be worth your time!

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The door slammed shut, shimmering black before vanishing altogether. The three heroes spun, surprised by the sudden dark laughter in the room. Ganon was half-standing, half-leaning against the pipe organ, glaring their way.

"Fools. Did you seriously think that I would be defeated so easily?" With a sonic boom, the room exploded outwards, the ceiling and walls flying to pieces and off the edge of the tower. They were now standing on a large platform of sorts, in the open air of the sky. The wind whistled around them, and the long drop off down any side was dizzying. "Now give me the Triforce!"

"Never, Ganon!" Rae said, possessively stepping back. 

"Then we will fight!" With a nasty snarl, Ganon was in the air, floating a good two feet off of the ground. "Hwa!" A sinister glow was appearing in his hand, crackling and giving off sparks. He threw it at the four teens; all moved out of the way, barely avoiding the blast of power.

"Link!" Sheik yelled. "Give me your bow!" With an overhead cast, Link sent the bow flying in the Sheikah's direction. Sheik caught it, pulling a capped tube from behind his back. Tying it to his belt and taking off the cover, he skipped aside as Ganon threw flare his way. On the opposite side, Link had laid Zelda on the ground, putting the protective power of Nayru's Love into place around her. Going to stand beside Rae, he brought the Master Sword up in a protecting motion. 

Ganon cast another ball of sparking light. To Link's left, Rae tumbled to one side, the air sizzling as the threat sang by. Link swung the Master Sword, deflecting the bolt back to Ganon. Ganon, surprised by this action, instinctually waved a hand to send it flying once more at Link. The Hylian, prepared for this action, repeated the swing, sending the offending projectile back towards its caster. Ganon sent it back. 

Link heard a feminine groan, and vaguely assumed that Zelda had finally woken up. Rae was watching him, he knew, and he could see Sheik, on the opposite side of the field, had carefully drawn his bow, placing a gold-gilded arrow on the string. 

Link blinked, tossing the bangs out of his eyes. It was taking a lot of energy to keep up the ever-growing pace of knocking the light back and forth.With every hit, every return, it seemed to gain power, gain strength. Sweat dripped into Link's gaze, and he blinked rapidly. A resonating ringing entered Link's hearing, turning into a shaft of narrow gold that struck Ganon's shoulder. Distracted, Link failed to time his next strike correctly, and missed the shot. The last thing he remembered was everything exploding. 

~

Sheik heard Rae and Zelda screaming, going to the fallen man on the field. Sheik, for his part, suppressed a wave of sudden and abrupt remorse. The Hero of Time was dead. What hope did Hyrule have now that Link had passed into lands of the Eye? He cast aside Link's bow, and the empty tube that he had the Light arrow in. There was only been one, and it was supposed to weaken Ganon to the point of death. 

The dark king was still alive and kicking. Ganon smiled a slow and bleeding grin, ecstatic to be facing a survivor of the Sheikah. The one survivor that had avoided capture all those years. "I said that I would kill you slowly, Sheikah." He rumbled, eyes glinting evilly."And so I shall. I have killed your only hope for saving your precious lands, and soon I will kill these girls. First I will maim your sister, poisoning her, and then I will kill your love slowly. Then, and only then, will I take care of you…"

Sheik glowered at the man, brows in a tight knit, one palm pressed against the cut on his chest. Crimson eyes lit with an inner fire that was overwhelming and terrible all at once, and spoke of a contained rage of many years. "You killed my people…my friends…all that I knew." His left hand clenched and unclenched with leaking anger. "For that you deserve worse than death. And I will not let you take from me the last of those that I care for!"

Ganon gave a mysterious sneer, flickering fingers at Rae and Zelda. Zelda, encompassed in a green cloud of smoke, crumpled to the ground, while Rae vanished and reappeared next to Sheik, enclosed in a dark jewel that was not unlike the one that Zelda had previously been in. Sheik pressed his hands to the jewel, ignoring the stinging that wanted to throw his hands back. It was not as strong as it had been with Zelda; Ganon was much weaker. 

The sudden sound of escaping air reached Sheik's ears. From inside the jewel Rae gaped, hand going to her throat. _By the Eye…_ Sheik realized. _He's suffocating her!_ He hit the solid wall between them, tears slightly clouding his eyes. _Link dead…Zelda dead…and now Rae? No!_ Following the girl as she sank to her knees, Rae revealed something to Sheik, her back away from Ganon. It was the Triforce. She still had it. 'Use it.' Sheik mouthed.

She shook her head. 'Already tried.' she mouthed back slowly. 'Not for me.' Holding the Triforce in one hand, she pressed it to where Sheik's palm was against the jewel. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and two words were mouthed. 'Take it.' She fell inside the jewel, her chest not rising again. The sound of air stopped and Rae's cage shattered. Her body sprawled in front of Sheik, and the young man was shaking as he slowly stood up. 

"No." Sheik said, the single word a hiss of denial. Ganon smirked at him. 

The brilliant blaze of light on the top of the tower shone in intensity, as Sheik had never seen in his life. The light grew and spread, filling him and growing, and pushing all emotion, all sadness, and grief and horror away. Standing on steady feet, he felt he cut across his chest heal and close. When the light cleared, he saw the scene with a whole new clarity, taking in the blood stained stones of the floor beneath him, he looked to the three dead youths lying across them. Then he looked at the King of Evil. Ganon stared at him in horror. 

"Y-Your hand…"

Sheik glanced down. With a strange impassiveness he saw that the symbol of the Triforce was visible on the back of his hand. All three pieces were glowing. He held the entirety of the Triforce within him and now he had one wish. One wish to spend.

Ganon looked at him, aghast. "You wouldn't…"

"Wouldn't I?" Sheik took a step forward, causing Ganon to flinch at the glow of his aura. "How many lives are imprinted on your soul? How many deaths are yours to blame? You are coated in the blood of hundreds and you make me _sick_." Sheik gazed at him coolly. "I should wish for your destruction."

"No…please…"

"How many said that when you killed them, Ganon? How many pleaded for their lives, fought for their lives, their right to live?" Sheik tilted his head, wearing a enigmatic smile. "Why should I treat you any different?" Ganon mumbled something. "What was that?"

"You're not me."

Sheik stared at him for a long moment, and then shook his head. "No, Ganon, I'm not. And that is why I won't wish the Triforce on you." He turned to the bodies of his three friends. "Instead, I wish for their lives back, so _they_ may have a second chance that you never will."

There was a long pause of silence, where Ganon wheezed a laugh. "Looks like you can't choose them all, Sheikah. Who will you pick?"

Sheik frowned, his first flicker of emotion since he obtained the Triforce. Choose? How in the Eye's name could he choose? Zelda was his sister, his twin, his other half since he was born. She knew him inside and out, shared his secrets, and helped to strengthen him after the Final Battle. Rae, on the other hand, was the only woman that held the keys to his heart. She was beautiful and talented and filled with a wild spirit that attracted him to her so much. But then there was Link, the Hero of Time, a Child of Destiny and the only one that could correctly wield the Master Sword. 

Sheik sighed, a single tear falling. Why was it his fate to see those he loved die? The aura around Sheik brightened and grew, stretching out and lighting Link's body. The Hero of Time took a breath, opening his eyes and gasping for air. Sheik sank to his knees beside Rae, expression dull and tired.

"Link!" He said, pointing to the Master Sword, "Hurry! Finish it!"

Link staggered to his feet, dizzy. "But I was—" He saw Zelda, and then he saw Rae. "And they're…"

"I know." Sheik said. 

Link gripped the Master Sword grimly, focusing on Ganon. He ignored the fact that he had just been dead, and that Zelda and Rae were dead as well. He had a job to do. 

Ganon was no longer floating in the air, a smirk on his face. There was fear in his eyes as he materialized a black sword, taking a weak guard position. Link almost smiled. This was what he was trained to do. He could use a sword to the best of his ability and not worry about anyone; there was no one left to worry about. It was just he, Ganon and the sword. This is what he was born to do; fight and win. He would win.

Taking the offensive, Link strode forward, feeling better than he had for weeks. A new strength filled his veins, fuelling him, driving him and giving him new courage. Ganon managed to block his first strike, an overhead slice that made him stagger. Link's second slash cut a deep line down Ganon's forearm, forcing the Gerudo to switch hands. The third cut his cape from his left shoulder. The forth severed it completely. Tripping backwards over the fallen fabric, Ganon's sword skidded away, falling off the off of the tower. Link pressed the tip of the Master Sword to Ganon's neck

Navi appeared behind Link, the six figures of the sages materializing slowly behind her. Link, sensing his faerie friend, and knowing why she had come out of hiding, growled, "Seal him. Before my blade 'slips.'"

"We cannot." Rauru said. 

"Why not?" Link demanded, eyes not leaving the cowering thief. 

Saria's soft voice answered. "We need the power of the seventh sage to seal him away."  
  


"Who's the seventh?" 

"Zelda."

Link's gaze darted over to the prone body a few paces away. "She's dead." He said flatly, hiding his inner despair. 

The sages began to murmur amongst themselves. Ganon grinned up at Link. "Looks like you'll have to kill me…"

Link stared at him in revulsion. "You don't deserve death."

"Hey." Navi said, bumping against Link's neck. "It was fun being your faerie, Link."

Link faced the faerie. "'Was' fun?" The small blue light floated away, and Link suddenly understood. "Navi – no!"

The sages watched as well, as Navi drifted above Zelda's body. She waited for a moment, and then swirled around the princess, vanishing once more into nothingness. This time, she wouldn't return. 

Link blinked, sadness gripping his heart, but it dampened as Zelda breathed again, cloaked in blue sparkles. "What…happened…?"

Rauru spoke gently to Zelda. "Welcome back to the realms of the living, princess. We must seal Ganon away."

Zelda nodded, shaking off all signs of disorientation. Standing, she pointed to Ganon, murmuring in an unfamiliar tongue. One by one the other sages joined her, taking up the verses in an almost fevered avow. The last verse that they chorused was in plain language. "Ancient creators of Hyrule, now open the sealed Door and send the evil Carnation back into the darkness!" The multi-colored powers of the sages gathered around Ganon, causing the dark king to writhe in agony. He twisted in a pain that seemed to be tearing him apart from the inside, something that was not wholly real, and yet completely devastating. 

The dark king's figure started to fade, a look of terror and hurting and unspeakable fury clear on his features. "You! Curse you Sages! Curse you Link! Curse you Zelda and Sheik! someday, when this seal is broken, that is when I exterminate your descendants! I will return…!" The Gerudo blipped out of sight, his final promise still echoing in the air. 

Link let out a breath that he wasn't even aware that he was holding. The tension in the air seemed to pop, leaving the hero feeling light-headed. It was over. It was truly over. They had completed what he had set out to do; save the sages and seal Ganon away in the space between realms. It was quite strange, to feel…released and relieved. 

"Oh Goddesses…By the Eye…"

Link turned at the devastated voice, eyes widening as he saw Sheik on the ground, sobbing soundlessly, and cradling the remaining prone body. 

"Farore's Wind." Link said softly. "Rae…"  
  


~

_"Wake up, offworlder…before you pass through my lands, I wish to speak with you…"_

__

_Rae opened her eyes, startled to find that she was sitting on the edge of a large fountain of sorts. The water glowed with a pearly-white silkiness that was altogether unreal. The area around the fountain stretched out for a few feet, vanishing into the leafy foliage of weeping willows. The sky above was not really a sky, for it was a blue color so rich and so vibrant that the pristine blue seemed to have no end. The air was pleasant, and the lighting was misty. Somewhere the sound of harps and flutes played, peaceful and content. _

__

_"You are Rae, woman of Earth, holder of the hidden piece of the Triforce." A tall woman, dressed in flowing violet, addressed Rae, her comment more informative than it was accusing. "I am Oculis."_

__

_Rae's response was a raised eyebrow. "Oculis?"_

__

_The woman didn't seem to be offended by her lack of respect. "Yes…the living call me The Eye. I took a name for my own, here among the passed souls; 'The Eye' is a little discomfited, don't you agree?"_

__

_Rae stared, scrambling to her feet. "I'm sorry." She stammered, bowing to the goddess. "I didn't realize…"_

__

_Oculis__ waved a slim hand. "It is all right. You will not be here long…" She indicated for Rae to sit once more. Rae did, and Oculis examined the girl's face critically."I admit that I am impressed with the way that you were able to overcome the power of the shadows. For many years it has been growing stronger and more powerful in the influence of Hyrule's darkened state. I am glad that you now bear the second sight that I blessed my children with."_

__

_"Your children?" Rae asked. "You don't mean the Sheikah, do you?"_

__

_Oculis__ nodded. "Yes. The Goddess of Time has chosen those worthy of my gift, for me. I am happy to see you are one of the few."_

__

_Rae hesitated for a moment. "I'm sorry about the war…so many died…"_

__

_Oculis__' expression was sorrowful. "Yes…but they have come to me upon their deaths…it is not I who miss them so." Rae nodded, unsure of where the conversation was going. "My point, Rae? You have passed to the ranks of the deceased, and you still are very impatient. Do not look at me like you're surprised. I see the truth, Rae. Your troubles are as clear as day to me."_

__

_"Then what is it you want from me?"_

__

_Oculis__ nodded thoughtfully. "The Goddess of Time warns me that your fate is not death. She still has work for you to do. I am to return you to the ranks of the living. I am not ready to receive you into my lands quite yet."_

__

_Rae bowed. "Thank you, Oculis."_

__

_"It is nothing. I have one favor to ask of you."_

__

_"Yes?"_

__

_"Give Sheik hope. Many people here are proud of him. Do not let him drift into shadows like he almost did before. You may not be there to pull him out the next time."_

__

~

The first breath of air was sweet and new. Rae sat up, eyes wild. She glanced around. The shattered remains of the castle were many meters away and the tower wasn't even in sight. What happened to the fountain? "Where…"

"Tower collapsed…had to run for it…" Sheik hugged her, arms tight, and shaking. "By the Eye, Rae…you were dead…"

_By the…Eye… _"I…I know…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well…there was a lot of dying and living in this chap.And I killed off Navi!! *Grins* But I did it in a way that didn't insult her. I owe her that much. Oh, and sorry for the somewhat choppy changing of POVs, in this chap. Usually I don't have all the characters in the scene doing so many different things at the same time. 

Yeah…and for the goddess, Oculis, her name derives from the latin spelling Oculus, meaning 'eye'. I changed the 'u' to an 'i' because I thought that it looked a little more feminine on the page. And for Harry Potter fans out there, Oculus was half of the spell that fixed Harry's glasses all the time. Cool, eh? … Yeah, well, I'm sorry if she was a bit weird.

Anyway, there's one last chapter after this, a sort of explanation and good-bye thing. It'll probably be posted at the same time this is. 

See ya around,

OracleVortex

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	17. Epilogue

Epilogue: My job here is done…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Disclaimer: See the end of the chapter…

I think that some of you will perhaps recognize parts of the explanation between Zelda and Rae…I kinda got lazy and stole it from my prologue. Oh well, it can be considered a legend, can't it? Zelda is infamous for spouting legends. 

This last chapter is dedicated to Kadros Minion of Time, who will be appearing in my OoT parody sometime in the future. Be sure to check out his LoZ story! It's amazing! … Do it!!

* sigh * So here it ends…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rae sat on the edge of the fountain, watching as it spurted water all over the place. She felt a strange detachment as she stared at it. Droplets splashed onto her face, but she hardly felt them at all. 

It was all over. Ganon was sent to the space between realms, and the Temple of Time was sealed up once more. The Spiritual Stones would be sent back to their Guardians, and as for the Ocarina of Time, well, it resided with Link. The Master Sword had put back into the pedestal, and the door was shut. Everything was safe. Link wouldn't go back in time, as it was in the game, but instead, would live on in this time, helping to rebuild. 

But what of herself? She had, in a sense, finished the game. Where would she go now? What would she do? When he had…died…the Goddess who was commonly called The Eye, has sent her back to Hyrule. She had said that the Goddess of Time still had tasks for her to do. 

What tasks? The game was _finished_, right? Right?

A light click, click of shoes entered Rae's hearing. She turned to see the Princess coming to her. She held a medallion in her hand. Zelda passed it to her, not saying a word. Rae examined it carefully. It was a thin, moonglow disc imprinted with the Triforce on one side. Surprisingly, the symbol of the Sheikah, the Eye of Truth, was engraved on the other. There was a small hole at the top of the medallion, allowing a narrow silver chain through it. Rae put it around her neck.

"This is a small token from the Royal Family." Zelda explained."In no way could this ever be a reward for what you have done, but I am hoping that it will serve as a reminder of us."

"Reminder?"

Zelda nodded. "I can sense that you will be leaving soon. A strange magic is coming to collect you…it calls your name."

"But…" Rae hefted her spear. _But what about my tasks to do?_"Um…then I'd better go say good bye to Link and Sheik." 

"No." The princess shook her head, eyes distant. "They are in deep discussion. I will bring them here."

"All…right…" Rae hesitated as the woman turned. "Um…princess?"

Zelda looked back. "Yes?"

"Why…how did I put the Triforce back together?" Rae paused. 

Zelda nodded, seemingly pleased with her questions. "I had the feeling that you were pondering this. Let me explain." She tilted her head slightly, looking up into the sky. "The Triforce was always thought of as a symbol of three, for the three goddesses and the three triangles, and for the gifts of power, wisdom and courage. There was yet another piece of the puzzle that all the theorists, and wise men of Hyrule neglected to consider; what kept it together."

"Kept it together?" 

Zelda nodded. "Yes. Within the three goddesses and the three gifts was another power, the power that held them all together; the power of friendship. So there was not three pieces of the Triforce, but four; power, wisdom, courage and friendship."

"But there were always three holders of the Triforce pieces." Rae said, confused.

"Yes - the fourth was always hidden." Zelda faced Rae fully. "Hidden, that is, until now. You descended upon our world, with the knowledge and intent to help us heal the land. You carried a great gift and a great power that enabled the spirit of friendship to enter your heart as a Triforce piece."

"I'm a protector of the Triforce?" Rae asked in disbelief. She then frowned. _Wait…Oculis said something about that…_

"Yes. You are a Child of Destiny, even as you are from a different land." She paused, looking at her with a meaningful glance. "Even as you are from a different world."

Rae rested against the fountain once more, not in the least surprised by her insight. "I see…"

Zelda smiled. "The Triforce went to my brother after you willingly gave to him. He is a Child of Destiny as well, Rae. He was meant to hold the power of the Triforce, whole and in complete power, in his hands. What he did with it could have either brought about another dark age, or given the power to end this current one. He passed the test and gave life back to Link, enabling him to rise up and defeat Ganon with the Master Sword. Had he chosen to destroy Ganon his self, with the power of the Triforce, darkness would have descended upon the land. Though Ganon did terrible and menacing things with the Triforce of Power, never once did he directly use the Triforce to kill another. He created the means to do so, but he did not bring the full force of the artefact onto another living being."

"Why not?"

"The three Goddesses never did harm. They created an artefact that was dedicated to keeping peace and justice in the world. It would never be able to directly do any harm. If someone asked it to, or commanded it to, the Triforce would rebel and force the death wish back onto the wisher."

Rae blinked. "Whoa." She paused, a puzzled look on her face. "Then…why were you and I brought back? How, if Sheik only wished for Link?"

Zelda smiled kindly at her. "Sheik had to choose between his sister, the Hero of Time, and the love of his life." Rae blushed. "But he ultimately chose to save the land, rather than choose between the three people that he valued most in his life. He chose Link and in doing so, chose to save Hyrule. Navi gave her life for mine. And you…" Zelda came to a stop. "Well…"

"The Eye brought me back. She said that the Goddess of Time wasn't done with me yet."

"Really?" Zelda appeared to be surprised. "She actually said that?"

"You betcha." Rae looked away. "Why didn't the Goddesses just intervene with Ganon in the first place?"

"They were powerless to do so. They could never reverse any one thing that they have ever done, whether that be themselves personally or through the power of the Triforce." 

"I see…and you know all of this because…?"

"The Triforce split upon Sheik's choice and went back to their original holders. Even now, when it has broken apart to prevent any further destruction to the land, the forth piece resides within you." Zelda turned to leave, pausing just before she moved out of sight. "Sheik saw the proud race of the Sheikahs diminish under Ganon's rule." She frowned sadly in remembrance. "When he saw that he was one of the remaining few, something in him hardened and resolved. He once told me that he would see the end of Ganon's reign, but he would not kill him. There had been too much death, and to take an 'eye for an eye' would to become like Ganon." Zelda turned. "The murder of the Sheikahs was perhaps the one thing that swayed Sheik's mind from revenge for all the turmoil and chaos of Hyrule. It's ironic that hundreds died, ultimately saving their own murderer."

~*~*~*~

Link rubbed the ankle of his left leg, wincing slightly. When the tower collapsed, he must've twisted it. Compared to being dead, thought, it was a slight ailment. 

"Let me look at that." Sheik stood in front of the seated man, hands folded sedately in front of him. At Link's nod, he knelt and lightly pressed fingertips to the injured leg. Within seconds, the gentle throbbing had disappeared. 

"Thank you for giving me life again." Link said, abruptly, standing. "It must have been…hard…to choose."

Sheik shrugged lightly. "I knew what I had to do." Sheik paused. "I am sorry that Navi is no longer among us. I didn't know her very well, but…"

Link shrugged as well. "She knew what she had to do."

The Sheikah rocked back on his heels, locking gazes with the Hylian. A flash of fire flared in both sets of eyes, and each looked away.

"Sheik, up in the castle—"

"About that moment on the steps—"

They stopped, their words hanging in the air. Link waited, and Sheik went on. "On the steps, just before we went into Ganon's room…when I sent Rae away…" He hesitated. "When I…kissed her…it was a spur of the moment…I didn't…well, I didn't want to possibly...die without…"

Link held up a hand. "I understand, Sheik…believe me, I do." He glanced sidewards at the opposite man. "I only wish I had thought of it first."

They smiled in unison, briefly connecting in a way that only the two of them could. Link's smile turned bitter after a moment, and Sheik's became thoughtful. 

A light cough drew their attention elsewhere. Zelda politely stood to one side, a neutral expression on her face. "You both should go to Rae."

"Is she hurt?" The men said simultaneously. 

Zelda hid a grin. "Ah—no. She is leaving."

"What?"

~*~*~*~

Link and Sheik stood before Rae, who was preparing to step into a swirling green vortex. It had appeared moments before, just as Zelda had left the Hylian and Sheikah to say their good-byes privately. Rae gazed at them for a while, wanting to have the image permanently meshed into her mind. Link was leaning on the fountain. Sapphire eyes glimmered, and Rae realized that he was holding back tears. He had a wavering smile on his face, but it continued to hold out. 

Sheik was standing straight and tall as usual, pale blonde bangs stirring from under his head-wrap. His scarf was down, and he smiled at her openly, a thin, pale scar along his jaw. His over-shirt was torn across the centre, but the flesh was unharmed. 

"Well." Rae said, brushing blue-black bangs out of her eyes. "This is it."

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Link asked.

"No." Rae replied regretfully. She indicated the vortex behind her. "I do have to go."

"If you decide to come back one day," Sheik said, moving forward to hug her, "Come look for me. I want to gather my people, so that something like this will never happen again." 

Rae nodded, embracing Link as he came to hug her as well. "Good-bye." She backed up into the vortex slowly. Sheik winked at her with a crimson eye, and Link bowed his head slightly. Rae took one last look at the two men. There was something that she was missing… something that she had to do… Rae felt Zelda's medallion bump against her chest, and understood with a sudden jolt. 

"I have something to give you both." Pulling at her ear with one hand, Rae tugged one of her tiny, silver hoop earrings loose. It was almost identical to the one that Link himself wore, for save the tiny blue jewel that hung on it. Rae pressed it into Link's palm, and the wavering smile flickered, and momentarily fell.

"Thank-you."

Rae only nodded as she turned to Sheik, taking one of his hands in her own. She pulled a silver ring off of her finger and pushed it into his grip. He smiled at her with an incredibly tender gaze, curved lips gentle in the motion. Rae hesitated for a moment, fixated by the taller man's stare. She rested on hand on the rip in his shirt, fingers playing with the frayed edges. 

"Thank you."

"For what?" Sheik asked gently,

His lips parted a fraction of an inch, and Rae suddenly felt her cheeks grow hot. Mind battling quickly, she kissed him lightly, pulling away before he had a chance to deepen it. Edging closer to the vortex she blushed. 

"Well…it seems my job here is done." She tried to put a good-natured lilt on it. Link was watching her with a strangely pained look, and Sheik was grinning. They faded from Rae's sight, suddenly in competition with the strength of the vortex. Just as they disappeared entirely, she said, "I'll miss you..." A strange wave of cold passed through her and she felt like she was rising from a deep place. Her hands flared and she blinked one last time before passing out.

The End... Of This Quest…

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Sheik: OracleVortex, as usual, owns nothing.

Link: And we'd like to thank all of our fans.

Sheik: And all those ppls who reviewed this story

Rae: And we want you to be just as supportive for….

OV: My next Zelda fic: **It Froze Again.** Keep an eye—

Sheik: {laughs}

OV/Link: O. o? 

Sheik: Nothing…nothing…

OV: {Continues} —Out for it! See you next time!! 

Link, Sheik, Rae and OracleVortex wave good-bye…scene fades away…reader presses the review box for one last time…: '(

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